John Cooper is CEO of Interfloor, Europe's largest manufacturer of carpet underlay and flooring accessories. The company was formed in 2002 through the merger of two long-established UK underlay makers, Tredaire and Duralay, and has since grown through further acquisitions of specialist flooring accessory businesses.
Cooper has built his leadership approach around assembling a strong senior management team and breaking down barriers between departments, encouraging collaborative problem-solving and transparency across the business. That focus on innovation has brought the company back-to-back "Best Underlay Manufacturer" awards, along with Gold Awards at the 2019 National Flooring Innovation Awards for products such as its flame-retardant Tredaire FR6 underlay and Decibel Soundseal acoustic underlay.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Cooper moved quickly to protect employee safety while ramping production back up, allowing Interfloor to return to full capacity ahead of many competitors — an example, he has said, of decisive leadership under pressure.
