Peter Perkins

Satra assistant director Peter Perkins is celebrating 40 'satisfying and challenging' years with the UK technology centre. He joined Satra as a laboratory technician straight from school in 1963 and studied part-time to gain qualifications in physics, later gaining an MSc. He helped to explore the concept of shoe engineering in the 1970s and later became an expert in computer-aided design and manufacturing for the footwear industry. Today, he manages Satra's footwear testing and research activities, as well as the publishing and printing business. Recently, he masterminded the introduction and refinement of Satra's website. Several 25-year long service awards were also presented at the annual meeting: footwear research specialist Mike Wilson; receptionist Brenda Frost; Bill Worswick, the centre's membership developer for the Asia Pacific region; and Steve Rose, Satra's business manager.