André COUTIER

About André COUTIER

André COUTIER is one of the founding figures behind AKWEL, the automotive supplier whose origins date back to 1972, when he and his brothers Joseph and Roger founded Coutier SARL in Champfromier, France. The company began as a plastics subcontractor, built on a practical industrial mindset and a strong family work ethic. From the outset, the Coutier brothers pursued a clear goal: create a business that could stand the test of time and serve the automotive industry with reliability and discipline. A major milestone came in 1978, when the company secured its first direct order from a car manufacturer, Peugeot, marking an important step in its transition from a small local business to a recognized industrial partner. Over time, André COUTIER helped shape the company’s expansion, its industrial maturation and its long-term strategic direction. In AKWEL’s current governance structure, André COUTIER serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board, a role confirmed in recent annual reports. This position is central to the company’s corporate governance framework, as the Supervisory Board oversees the Executive Board, monitors strategic consistency and contributes to the protection of the group’s long-term interests. Through this mandate, André COUTIER remains closely connected to the major decisions that have guided AKWEL’s development while preserving the family-owned identity that has always been part of its DNA. His professional legacy is closely tied to AKWEL’s transformation from a regional plastics specialist into a global automotive supplier with international operations. The group has broadened its expertise from plastics processing to a wider portfolio spanning fluid management, mechanisms and structural parts for electric vehicles. That evolution reflects a business model centered on industrial discipline, customer proximity and adaptation to structural changes in the automotive market. André COUTIER represents the founding generation that established the company’s values: hard work, pragmatism, resilience and continuity. His role in governance also illustrates how AKWEL has balanced entrepreneurial family control with the demands of a listed company, structured oversight and long-term industrial strategy.