The PIAA has filled the four Board positions caused by the wave of resignations that engulfed the association at the beginning of the year.
The new Board members are Matt Aitken, chief executive of Blue Star Group who will represent the NSW region, Kellie Northwood from Two Sides Australia who will stand for Victoria, John Scott from Scott Print for Western Australia and Walter Kuhn director of Kuhncorp who will fill the Queensland position.
The PIAA Board says the members were ‘unanimously chosen’ from a pool of nearly twenty candidates.
Member Action Group spokesman Tom Eckersley says he is happy with the ‘fantastic’ range of new members appointed today to join the PIAA Board.
Acting PIAA president Kieran May says making the selection was a difficult task and asserts the appointments are from areas where suitable representation from the association was in need.
“It was initially a difficult process given the significant number of people who expressed interest in joining the Board. One of our primary considerations was to add skills in areas where we thought it was necessary,” says May.
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Commenting on the new appointments Eckersley – spokesperson of the Members Action Group which was in open conflict with the PIAA over several issues – says the ‘fantastic selection’ will enable to Board to ‘move ahead’ and make the necessary changes after recent turbulent times.
“Kellie will bring a much needed marketing influence to the Board, John is an all-round great family business owner, Walter will be a good ambassador for the Queensland region and Matt is well-liked and a great choice for NSW,” says Eckersley.
“The PIAA has chosen candidates from the big end of town which will be a great opportunity to move ahead.”
May says, “I would like to say thanks to the other members who put up their hand. The board and I will be looking for ways we can involve them at some level. Wider member engagement and involvement is something we need to foster. We need to create a talented pool of future leaders.”
The unanimous appointment of the new quartet by the Board and their endorsement by Eckersley means the tumultuous period of the past three months has come to an end, leaving the PIAA to move forward representing the whole printing industry.
Many of the issues which so exasperated the PIAA members who formed the Members Action Group will no doubt be addressed in the coming months, but in a much calmer environment.
The Board is expected to formalise the appointments within the week after necessary paper work is completed.
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