The late Geoff Selig has been posthumously awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his remarkable contributions to the Australian print industry.
The award, presented at the National Print Awards in Sydney, was accepted on behalf of the Selig family by Geoff’s older brother Paul Selig, who delivered a heartfelt tribute reflecting on Geoff’s legacy.
“It’s with great honour that the family accepts this award honouring Geoff’s lifetime contribution to the printing industry – he would be very humbled,” Paul said.
Geoff, who tragically passed away while on holiday in Europe last year, was executive chairman of IVE Group at the time of his death.
Under his leadership, IVE grew into Australia’s largest printing and marketing communications company, employing more than 2,000 people and generating $1 billion in annual revenue.
Paul traced the family’s print legacy back to 1921 with their grandfather’s founding of The Link newspaper in Balmain. Geoff’s formal entry into the industry began in the mid-1980s after studying economics.
Originally stepping in as a temporary accountant, Geoff remained in the business for nearly four decades, helping lead its transformation and expansion.
A pivotal figure in industry consolidation, Geoff played key roles in the growth of BlueStar Australia and later IVE Group.
“In 1997, the family was approached by a New Zealand-based business called BlueStar. They were looking for a quality business to acquire. The family accepted the offer, and we closed the deal in June 1997,” said Paul.
“In hindsight, the sale to BlueStar signified the commencement of an industry consolidation journey that is still continuing with IVE today, and Geoff was instrumental in the execution of that strategy for 25 years.”
Paul said Geoff’s strategic vision and deal-making acumen drove more than two dozen acquisitions, helping shape the modern Australian print landscape.
“From 2012 to today, IVE has continued to supplement its organic growth with strategic acquisitions and has completed 28 acquisitions across multiple sectors. Geoff was the driving force behind most of these acquisitions and worked with me and the management team to strategically expand IVE’s offering.”
Paul said Geoff was also pivotal in the IPO of IVE Group in 2015.
“Geoff was executive chair on the IPO and did an amazing job navigating the exhausting legal and financial requirements of the IPO, as well as articulating the company’s value proposition to investors and gaining their confidence.
“The business was successfully listed on the ASX in late 2015. Following the success of the IPO, over the next eight years, IVE Group, led by Geoff, closed a number of significant acquisitions.”
Paul noted the acquisitions of Franklin Web, Salmat, Active Display Group, and JacPak among the standouts.
“Franklin Web was one of Australia’s leading offset businesses. At the same time, we acquired AIW business. Over the next 12 months we integrated both these businesses. This was a complex series of transactions that created significant value for IVE.
“The next one that stands out is the acquisition of Salmat in late 2019. This was a national catalogue distribution business owned by Salmat. The acquisition was essential for IVE as we had to ensure a viable, national mail distribution network remained standing in Australia.
“The next one was the acquisition of Active Display Group in late 2021. This acquisition significantly increased IVE’s presence in the retail display sector and moved us into fabric printing and the event space as well and expanded our 3PL business. It was an extremely good acquisition for IVE,” he said.
“The next one was probably one of the most complex acquisitions that we undertook and again led by Geoff was the purchase of the Ovato business following the collapse of that company. This was an extremely complex transaction as time was of the essence, and we had to ensure customers print needs were met.
“The purchase of Ovato resulted in IVE becoming the only large format printer with offset printing in Australia and represented a significant strategic milestone for Geoff, Matt, and the management team.
“One of the last acquisitions that Geoff led before he passed away was the purchase of JacPak. This was IVE’s cornerstone acquisition for entry into the fibre-based packaging market. This strategy is still playing out, but signs are extremely promising.”
His close collaboration with industry leaders and long-time colleague Matt Aitken was also highlighted as central to this success.
“Matt possesses incredible capability as well as the drive needed to succeed. Matt, like Geoff, loved the chase for new business and they became a formidable team for many years, working closely together to land some of the largest print contracts awarded in this country,” Paul said.
“I know Geoff, was very fond of Matt and I personally got a lot of pleasure out of watching those two guys chase down major accounts.”
Paul emphasised Geoff’s deep passion for the industry and his tireless work ethic, crediting him with helping secure the future of commercial print in a challenging and evolving marketplace.
In closing his tribute, Paul reflected on the personal values and leadership qualities that defined his late brother.
“In closing, I would like to reflect briefly on Geoff’s qualities as an individual. Geoff loved people and was an extremely compassionate person,” he said.
“He knew unequivocally that executing a brilliant strategic business plan was little use if you didn’t have the right culture and the right people in the business.
“Geoff maintained contact with many people at IVE at all levels of seniority in the business and always had time for a staff member if they knocked of his door.
“He was generous to a fault, a hard worker, he had a strong and strategic mind, and he was a skilled negotiator. He admired and respected the leaders of the business and invariably garnered loyalty from all who worked closely with him.
“There is some irony that Geoff, who accidently landed in the print industry 39 years ago just to help his father out for a few months, ended up working in it for the rest of his life, and with the help of the IVE team, was a key driver of significant transformation in shaping the industry over a period of almost 40 years.
“Geoff left the IVE business in excellent shape. It a strong and resilient business with highly diversified revenue streams. Its financial performance is outstanding when compared to his peers.
“But most importantly, it has a world-class management team and a dedicated workforce led by Matt.
“I know for a fact Geoff would be extremely confident that the business has been left in a very good and safe pair of hands.”
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