AIMEX - Board Members

About

Board Members

The Australian International Marine Export Group (AIMEX) Board of Directors represent a wide cross-section of the Australian Marine Industry. The directors are elected by members because of their individual expertise in export marketing, and collectively they make up a vast pool of knowledge, skills and experience.

2011/12 AIMEX Board of Directors and Management

Alistair Murray - President

A founding member of AIMEX, Alistair Murray is the Managing Director of Ronstan International Pty Ltd after a 35 year career with the company. Ronstan exports 70% of its total turnover to 40 countries. The company and Mr Murray have won numerous export achievement awards. Mr Murray has worked in the US and has been a long-term AIMEX Board Member holding the role of President for six years. www.ronstan.com.au

Sean Griffin - Vice President

An AIMEX member for six years and current Vice President, Mr Griffin has been actively involved with export and international business development for more than 25 years. Currently employed as the senior General Manager for International Business & Product Development at GME, Mr Griffin has lived and worked in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Prior to joining GME in 1989, Mr Griffin held the position of Regional Director with US biomedical company Cobe Laboratories. He has been a Board Member for five years and qualifications include BSc, MBA and FAICD. www.gme.net.au

Stephen Vincent - Treasurer

Long term AIMEX Board Member Stephen Vincent is the current Honorary Treasurer. As General Manager and Director of Austral Propeller Co. Pty Ltd, Mr. Vincent has been involved in international boat shows and marine exporting for over 15 years, and has a degree in Commerce. Austral Propellers has been a leading Australian propeller manufacturer for over 60 years and currently regularly exports to over 30 countries. www.australpropeller.com.au

Richard Chapman

Richard Chapman has an extensive involvement with the marine industry spanning 35 years. As Managing Director of Coursemaster Autopilots Pty Ltd and HyDrive Engineering Pty Ltd, Mr Chapman has spent many years attending international boat shows focusing on exports. He is an AIMEX founding member and has been on the Board since its establishment. www.coursemaster.com

Brian Gagen

Owner and Managing Director of Poly Flex Group Pty Ltd, Poly Flex Australia Pty Ltd and Superior Marine Group, Mr Gagen has been an AIMEX Board Member since 2001. He invented the range of Poly Flex anti-vibration mount systems and shaft couplings to suit marine, defence, industrial and power generation applications. The company manufactures all stages of the product range including machining, moulding, assembly and distribution. Poly Flex markets around the world including the US, UK, Europe, Asia and South America. Poly Flex is enjoying major growth in the US. www.polyflex.com.au

Barry Jenkins

Barry Jenkins has been associated with the marine industry in Queensland for many years. Barry currently consults to the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show and Yacht & Boat Korea in the area of international relations and product development. Industry involvement includes Past President of Marine Queensland, Past President of the Australian Marine Industries Federation, Founding Chairman of Super Yacht Base Australia and is long-term Director on the AIMEX board. At the Australian Marine Industry Awards 2009 he was presented a Highly Commended Award for Export Industry Champion.
www.sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au

Richard Ward

A Founding Director of AIMEX, the Seawind Catamarans’ Managing Director Richard Ward celebrates 29 years in the boating industry in 2011. Since forming Seawind Catamarans in 1982, Mr Ward has grown the company to be an internationally successful multihull builder for sail and power models employing 200 people worldwide. In 2010, Seawind expanded its overseas operations with the purchase of Corsair Marine, the world leader in cruising trimarans, based in Vietnam. The company exports up to 40% of production. Seawind’s products have enjoyed international success and the company places a priority on exporting, attending up to 10 international boat shows a year. www.seawindcats.com

Jeremy Spear

Jeremy Spear has been involved in marine design for over twenty years. He started designing marine interiors for private yachts in London in 1988 and formed Spear Green Design in Sydney in 1991. SGD is a multidisciplinary marine design studio which has produced interiors, styled vessels and managed commercial and private newbuild and refit projects from 30 feet to 30,000 tonnes in over twelve countries. He has also managed business units for other design companies and has designed other transport interiors in Europe. Jeremy holds a degree in Industrial Design and is also qualified in Naval Architecture. www.speargreen.com.au

Alan Steber

Alan Steber is the General Manager and Director of Steber International. An original AIMEX Board member and former AIMEX President, Mr Steber recently received a Centenary medal as well as an Industry Achievement award for Outstanding Service to the Marine Industry. Steber International exports to Mauritius, Seychelles, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea and New Zealand. The company has won numerous Australian Design Awards, Boat of the Year Awards and many Business of the Year Awards. Alan sits on the NSW BIA board and Chairs the Boat Manufacturers Association division of the NSW BIA and is involved with several Maritime committees. www.steber.com.au

Matthew Johnston

Matthew Johnston is the General Manager of Muir Engineering Pty Ltd (a founding member of AIMEX). Since his arrival at Muir in 1995 he has been actively involved in all aspects of the business and particularly the exports sales of the business. He is a regular attendance of many of the overseas boat shows, particularly Monaco Yacht Show and METS. He has an MBA (from Southern Cross University – NSW) and in his spare time he enjoys sailing and boating recreationally which he has been doing all of his life.

Muir exports 65% of its total turnover to approx 30-40 countries. The company has won numerous export achievement awards over the years both locally and nationally. www.muir.com.au

Brett Vorhauer

Brett Vorhauer is the owner and a Director of Marine Tech Industries Australia. Originating from Taupo NZ, MTIA moved to Australia in 2007 and recently relocated from the Gold Coast to Kilsyth in Victoria. Brett’s original involvement with both the boating industry and AIMEX was through Rae-Line Boat Seats. While no longer the owner of this company, Brett maintained an interest in boating and purchased MTIA in 2001. Keen to grow our export markets, Marine Tech joined AIMEX in 2009 and currently exports to NZ, China and the UK. Brett is also the owner and Managing Director of Rae-Line Pty Ltd, a long term supplier of soft trim products to the heavy transport industry. www.marinetechindustries.com

Richard Morris

Richard Morris, a Master Mariner, sailed as deck navigating officer on commercial ships with P&O Swire and as Captain of five large superyachts up to 65m during his 14 years at sea; cruising worldwide and including supervising a 50m superyacht new-construction in Holland. In 1999, Richard came ashore, winning the NSW Maritime contract to oversee the design, construction and management of the Rozelle Bay Superyacht Marina for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games; a position he held for 10 years prior to selling the successful marina business to the private sector in 2009. Richard founded Superyacht Sydney, the NSW Superyacht Industry Association, and remains its President and Executive Director. He is a former director of Superyacht Australia (SYBA). His company, Australian Superyachts, provides services to the superyacht industry including superyacht sales, charter, management, crew and agency support.

Peter Hancock - Department of Innovation, Industry, Science & Research (DIISR)

Peter Hancock is the Manager of the Aerospace and Marine Industries Section in the Manufacturing Division of the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) in Canberra. He worked previously in the Tourism Division of the Commonwealth Department of Resources, Energy and Tourism, and prior to that as a manager in various industry policy roles in the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. www.innovation.gov.au

Management

MaryAnne Edwards - CEO

Appointed as AIMEX General Manager in 2006, and promoted to CEO in 2007, MaryAnne Edwards has extensive experience within commercially based and member organizations. MaryAnne has held CEO and senior management positions within following industry sectors, Automotive, Sports and Entertainment, Property Management and most recently as General Manager Marketing and Membership for the Victoria Employers Chamber of Commerce and Industry. MaryAnne has an MBA in international marketing and post graduate qualifications in Human Resource and Business Management.