Composites People

Charles Cotton is a founding Director of Composites People, bringing four decades of distinguished recruitment expertise to the advanced composite materials sector. For the past 16 years, he has specialised exclusively in this cutting-edge field, establishing himself as a leading authority in connecting top talent with pioneering organisations.

Appointed to the board of a leading UK recruitment business in the early 1980s, Charles went on to establish a boutique consultancy focused on delivering recruitment solutions to clients operating in challenging global markets where exceptional talent was both scarce and highly sought after. His client portfolio encompassed both multinational corporations and ambitious SMEs covering sectors as diverse as professional services, industrial manufacturing, sport, agriculture, and mining.

Undertaking a search for FACC in Austria, pioneers themselves in the development and use of advanced materials in sporting and aerospace applications, Charles witnessed first-hand how the adoption of advanced materials was being driven by critical industry demands that traditional materials simply couldn't meet.

Manufacturing is being fundamentally reimagined

The convergence of performance requirements, sustainability pressures, and technological innovation has created unprecedented opportunities as industries push beyond conventional materials. Companies now seek solutions that deliver superior performance while meeting increasingly stringent environmental regulations, driving demand for materials that integrate multiple functions—combining strength, lightweight properties, and smart capabilities, ultimately, reshaping entire business sectors.

Recognising the clear need for creative engineers, curious scientists, experienced salespeople, and visionary business leaders with a technical understanding of advanced composite materials, we established Composites People to support the industry and to offer solutions to the global talent gap that had so obviously been created.