• Accomplished rope industry executive brings nearly 30 years of operational, technical and leadership experience

Leawood, KS, USA, August 10, 2026 – WireCo®, a global leader in wire and synthetic rope solutions, today announced the appointment of Luis Padilla as Chief Operating Officer, North America. Padilla will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Keith White.

In this role, Padilla will lead WireCo’s North American business, with responsibility for advancing operational performance, manufacturing excellence and execution across the region. He will also play a central role in strengthening the company’s ability to serve customers, support profitable growth and build greater consistency across its North American operations.

“Luis brings a rare combination of deep industry knowledge, technical expertise and proven executive leadership,” said White. “His experience leading complex, multi-site businesses and driving meaningful operational improvement will be highly valuable as we continue strengthening our North American organization. I am confident he will make an immediate and lasting contribution to WireCo.”

Padilla brings nearly 30 years of experience in the rope industry. Most recently, he served as President and CEO of Knowix, where he led the development of an Industrial Internet of Things platform focused on predictive analytics and digital monitoring technologies for rope applications.

Previously, Padilla spent nearly 15 years with Cortland Company, ultimately serving as President. During his tenure, he led a multinational, multi-site business with more than $40 million in revenue, improved profitability through portfolio optimization and operational transformation, consolidated manufacturing operations across multiple countries and developed the company’s biomedical division into a significant growth platform.

Padilla is also a recognized leader within the global cordage industry. He served multiple terms as President of the Cordage Institute and holds several U.S. patents related to advanced rope technologies, structural health monitoring and Industrial Internet of Things applications.

“WireCo has an exceptional reputation, a broad portfolio of market-leading products and a unique position across both steel and synthetic rope technologies,” said Padilla. “I am honored to join the company and look forward to working with our teams to strengthen operational performance, deliver greater value to customers and support WireCo’s continued growth.”

During his initial months with the company, Padilla will visit WireCo locations throughout North America, meet with employees and customers, and develop a deeper understanding of the company’s operations, products and markets.