This time it’s for real as Scot West takes on managing director role at Ronstan in the US.

Australian marine manufacturing company, Ronstan, has announced a top-level management reshuffle which will see long-time managing director, Alistair Murray, vacate the role to become chairman of the company.

In a major change of direction for the company, Scot West, who has headed up Ronstan’s US operations for the past 11 years, will take on the managing director role based at Rhode Island.

“I am thrilled to take over as managing director at Ronstan,” said West. “Alistair has been a dynamic leader here for a long time and as a result we have had some great success. Now I am looking forward to getting some fresh eyes on our biggest challenges and opportunities.

“More than anything, I have worked with the other senior managers at Ronstan for over 10 years and they give me the confidence to know we can and will do great things at Ronstan.”

Having been managing director for the past 19 years, Murray will step down from the role in April this year – his 40^th anniversary since joining the company – and replace Graham Cunningham as company chairman from 1 July.

“I have spent a long time developing a magnificent team at Ronstan and I am thrilled to have the talent to choose from at all levels to take the company on to even greater success. Scot will do a great job,” said Murray.

General manager of operations, Timothy Melville, has also joined the board of directors as operations director, effective from 1 February.

With headquarters in Melbourne and manufacturing facilities in Australia, Denmark and Indonesia, Ronstan is well-known in the sailing and architectural markets with a global network of distributors in 45 countries worldwide.

It’s no joke

In his most recent View From The Head newsletter, Murray referred to the April Fool’s hoax last year in which his ‘retirement’ was jokingly announced – albeit only prematurely as it turns out.

“Well, here I am, less than a year later, and this time it’s for real… I am handing over the reins!” he writes.

Appropriately, the perpetrator of that hoax turned out to be Scot West, the man now who takes on Murray’s role for real.

“Revenge is best served cold and I’m going to keep my powder dry until I exact the ultimate revenge when he least expects it, but I thought I would fire at least a parting shot by giving him all my responsibilities!

“Yes, he, the man who publicly ‘retired’ me, is taking over my job!”

As for the future, Murray said he is looking forward to being a grandfather (due in April), spending more time with his wife, Tracey, as well as staying active, visiting far-flung places and “staying in contact with the fabulous people I have met around the world”.