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.

2009/10 AIMEX Board of Directors and Management

Alistair Murray Chairman

A founding member of AIMEX, Alistair Murray is the Managing Director of Ronstan International Pty Ltd after a 31-year career with the company. Ronstan exports 65% 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 three years. www.ronstan.com.au

Sean Griffin Vice President

An AIMEX member for four years and current Vice President, Mr Griffin has been actively involved with export and international business development for more than 20 years. Currently General Manager Sales and Marketing at GME, Mr Griffin has lived and worked in the US, UK, Australia and New Zealand. Prior to joining GME in 1989, Mr Griffin worked with US biomedical company Cobe Laboratories. He has been a Board Member for three 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

Long-term AIMEX Board Member Barry Jenkins is General Manager Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show. His current positions in the boating industry include Immediate Past President of Marine Queensland, Immediate Past President the Australian Marine Industries Federation and Founding Chairman of Super Yacht Base Australia. Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show is a leading marine event in the Asia-Pacific.

www.sanctuarycoveboatshow.com.au

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

Brett Maddern

An AIMEX member since 2002, Brett Maddern is Managing Director of Marina Protection Systems. For the past nine years, Mr Maddern has measured more than 3000 vessels and marinas around the world for electrolysis and corrosion in countries including the UK, Norway, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Indonesia and the US. Mr Maddern’s manufacturing company has won Australian and European accreditation. He still surveys vessels for the world’s elite – ensuring maximum vessel performance by protection against electrolysis, wood rot, coral growth and coating/paint dis-bondment. Mr Maddern is newly elected to the AIMEX Board. www.marinaprotection.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. www.steber.com.au

David Hay

David Hay is the general manager of FGI, a long term AIMEX member and a major supplier for the marine industry. David has worked in the composites industry for 20 years and has been with Nuplex since May 1987, when he joined Fibre Glass International in a technical sales and marketing role. Before joining FGI he was working in South Korea on a joint venture with a large Korean boat building firm to manufacture craft for the Seoul Olympics. David was promoted to NSW State Manager of FGI in 1997 and became Business Manager of Nuplex Special Resins in July 2001. Now as General Manager of FGI he is committed to maintaining a high level of quality in all aspects of the business. www.fgi.com.au

Richard Ward

A Founding Director of AIMEX, the Seawind Catamarans’ Managing Director Richard Ward celebrates 25 years in the boating industry in 2007. Since forming Seawind Catamarans in 1982, Mr Ward has grown the company to be a successful catamaran builder for sail and power models employing 90 people. The company exports up to 40% of production. Seawind has enjoyed success in the US and the company places a priority on exporting, attending up to 10 international boat shows a year. www.seawindcats.com

Leigh Berwick - Austrade

Leigh Berwick is a Senior Industry Adviser in the Automotive and Advanced Manufacturing Team at the Australian Trade Commission (Austrade) in Sydney. Leigh has previously spent time in Japan and Germany, and since joining the Australian Public Service in 2002 he has worked with international and local companies on new investment projects in marine, automotive, biotechnology, defence, nanotechnology and other industries. Austrade is the Australian Government's trade and investment development agency, with an international network of more than 100 offices. www.austrade.gov.au

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

Mary Anne Edwards CEO

Appointed as AIMEX General Manager in 2006, and promoted to CEO in
2007, Mary Anne Edwards has extensive experience within commercially based and member organizations. Mary Anne 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. Mary Anne has an MBA in international marketing and post graduate qualifications in Human Resource and Business Management.