The three recipients are: Franca Balsamo, Kelly Bourke and Rodney Williams.
Balsamo, Canon Australia senior production and graphic arts consultant, says she applied for the GAMAA Leadership Programme because it provided an opportunity for her to further enhance and develop her 19-year career in the industry.
“I see a symmetry between GAMAA’s objectives and my own,” says Balsamo. “Being accepted for the scholarship has truly been a highlight for me and I value the opportunity to partake in the programme with other industry colleagues. Early on in my career I had some wonderful mentors both educational and managerial, however in the last 10 years I have felt a gap. I believe the GAMAA programme will provide me with the mentoring I’m after and in future I hope to be able to give back to those who come behind me in this programme.”
As sales manager at SOS Print & Media Group, Bourke is another long time member of the print and graphic arts industry, with 17 years experience. She says she has acquired her knowledge through experience on the job and involvement in the industry organisation, JPE.
“I believe I now need to acquire strategic thinking and processes to add to my vast experience. To progress further necessitates formal qualifications to realise my full potential,” says Bourke.
Williams, Westpac Digital Print Centre contract services manager, says becoming a recipient of this year’s scholarship means he can now complete an MBA augmented with an industry specific, practical programme.
“The ongoing experiences from the GAMAA Leadership Programme in conjunction with further business studies will benefit my current role as a manager, and looking forward, provide a broader foundation for future functions within the industry,” says Williams.
GAMAA president Alastair Hadley says it was heartening to see that candidates had come from a broad sweep of the industry, both from the supplier side and from the print producers.
“The objective of our Leadership Programme is to enable those working in the printing and graphic arts related industries to hone their leadership and management skills for the strength and future of our industry,” says Hadley.
“The applicants for the 2006 scholarship were of an extremely high calibre and representative of the diversity of our industry. On behalf of the GAMAA membership I am delighted to announce the recipients for this year’s intake and wish them well in
their academic endeavours.”
The GAMAA Leadership Programme provides for a limited number of scholarships each year. To date 23 scholarships have been awarded including 20 full scholarships and three part scholarships.
Fundamental to the GAMAA Leadership Programme are the bi-annual three day residential workshops which are compulsory for scholarship recipients, and also open to the industry in general.
The workshops focus on specific topics with this year’s programme featuring “Pursuing Business Excellence”, in Melbourne, May 4 – 6, and “Integrating Innovation and Leadership”, in Sydney, August 31 – September 2.
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