Rogers Corp. Taps Tech and Industrial CEOs for Board to Fuel Growth

CHANDLER, AZ – May 07, 2026 – Rogers Corporation (NYSE: ROG) has strategically bolstered its leadership by electing two highly accomplished chief executives, Brett Cope and Eric Starkloff, to its Board of Directors. The move signals a deliberate effort by the engineered materials giant to deepen its expertise in key growth sectors and accelerate its push for greater profitability and market share.

The appointments come as Rogers navigates a landscape ripe with opportunity but also fraught with complexity. The company, a critical supplier of advanced materials for electric vehicles (EVs), 5G infrastructure, and renewable energy systems, is positioning itself to capitalize on major secular trends. The addition of Cope, a leader in industrial power systems, and Starkloff, a veteran of the high-tech test and measurement industry, appears to be a calculated play to enhance strategic oversight and drive innovation.

A Strategic Infusion of Leadership

Rogers' leadership has framed the appointments as a direct component of its long-term strategy. “The Board remains committed to unlocking higher levels of growth and profitability at Rogers,” said Armand Lauzon, Chair of the Board, in the official announcement. “Both are accomplished CEOs with proven track records of creating value, and they bring critical skills that will further strengthen the Rogers Board.”

This commitment to growth is underscored by the company’s recent performance. In the first quarter of 2026, Rogers reported earnings per share of $0.75, surpassing analyst expectations. However, the company also posted a negative net margin, highlighting a potential area of focus for the newly fortified board. The company's own ambitious targets, set during a 2023 investor day, aim for a 7% to 10% compound annual revenue growth rate and an adjusted EBITDA margin of 24% to 26% by 2025. Achieving these goals requires not only riding market waves but also expert operational and strategic navigation, a role for which the new directors seem uniquely qualified.

The board's Nominating, Governance & Sustainability Committee, responsible for identifying qualified members, has clearly prioritized hands-on executive experience in markets directly relevant to Rogers' product portfolio.

Industrial Powerhouse Meets Tech Visionary

The backgrounds of the new directors provide a clear window into the expertise Rogers aims to leverage.

Brett Cope is the current Chairman, President, and CEO of Powell Industries, a company specializing in power distribution and electrical equipment. Since taking the helm in 2016, Cope has overseen a period of remarkable growth. Powell recently secured its largest order in company history—a deal exceeding $400 million for a single greenfield data center project. This, along with other major contracts in the LNG and electric utility sectors, has swelled Powell's backlog to a record $1.8 billion, providing visibility well into fiscal 2028. Cope's deep experience in managing large-scale industrial projects and navigating the booming demand from data centers and electrification directly complements Rogers' focus on providing high-power material solutions for EV/HEV powertrains, renewable energy inverters, and industrial motor drives.

Eric Starkloff brings a different but equally valuable perspective from the world of high-tech testing and automation. He served as CEO of National Instruments (NI), a leader in test and measurement hardware and software, until its acquisition by Emerson Electric in 2023. During his 27-year tenure at NI, Starkloff rose through the ranks, leading sales, marketing, and operations before taking the top job in 2020. He was instrumental in shifting NI’s strategy to focus on key growth markets like semiconductors, automotive, and aerospace. His leadership was defined by a focus on harnessing software-connected platforms to help customers accelerate product development—a critical factor in fast-moving industries like 5G communications and autonomous vehicles. This expertise is directly applicable to Rogers' Advanced Electronic Solutions, which produces materials essential for automotive radar systems, 5G antennas, and mobile devices.

Aligning Expertise with Market Demands

The combined experience of Cope and Starkloff creates a powerful synergy on the Rogers board, directly aligning with the company's most critical end markets. The transition to electric vehicles, for example, is not just about batteries; it requires sophisticated power electronics to manage energy flow, which rely on the kind of advanced substrate and power interconnect solutions that Rogers manufactures. Cope’s understanding of the industrial power landscape can provide invaluable guidance as Rogers scales its offerings for this demanding sector.

Similarly, the rollout of 5G and the increasing complexity of Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS) depend on materials that can handle high frequencies with minimal signal loss and maximum reliability. Starkloff’s career was built on enabling the testing and validation of such complex systems. His insights into the challenges faced by engineers in the automotive and telecommunications industries could prove instrumental in shaping Rogers' product roadmap, ensuring its materials meet the precise, forward-looking specifications of its top-tier customers.

This alignment is crucial as the engineered materials industry becomes more specialized. Generic, one-size-fits-all solutions are being replaced by highly tailored materials that are integral to a product's performance. The trend is toward embedding functionality—sensing, durability, and connectivity—directly into the materials themselves.

Navigating a Competitive Future

The appointments also equip Rogers with leadership adept at navigating a competitive and rapidly changing global landscape. The industry faces pressures from intense competition, potential supply chain disruptions, and the constant need for innovation to stay ahead. Trends toward lightweighting, sustainability, and the integration of AI into materials discovery are reshaping the entire sector.

By adding two sitting and former CEOs who have successfully steered their own companies through similar challenges, Rogers is strengthening its capacity for robust strategic oversight. Their collective experience in M&A, managing global operations, and responding to disruptive technologies will be a significant asset. For a company with a stated interest in pursuing acquisitions to supplement its organic growth, this experience could be particularly vital.

As Rogers Corporation continues to execute its strategy, the insights and guidance from its two newest board members will be critical. Their arrival sends a clear message that the company is proactively equipping itself with the leadership necessary to not only compete but to lead in the next generation of advanced materials. With these strategic additions, Rogers Corporation is signaling to the market its clear intent to not just participate in the future of advanced technology, but to actively define it.