Duarte becomes CEO at Centrum Printing

Sandra Duarte is the new CEO at Centrum Printing, saying she is proud to accept the high profile role at the large format, display, and packaging printer, where she has been general manager.

Duarte said, "I am excited and inspired to lead the team forward into a new era of technology and products. Centrum is a great business."

Owner Percy Vij will stay with the company to focus on sales. Centrum operates as a service centre to the whole industry.

Duarte says her role will not only encompass running Centrum, but promoting the role of women and young people in the industry. She said, "I am passionate about empowering women to be the best they can be, and to step out into the arena, and not only be seen, but heard."

Centrum has had a longstanding commitment to education, running site tours for pupils, and going into the classroom to promote print. Duarte said, "I will also be launching CEO For The Day, where young women will have the opportunity to sit in my seat, and see what is involved in being CEO of Centrum."

Duarte has been with Centrum since 2008 following a career in corporate publishing. Centrum made a bold move six years ago when it changed direction completely, reinventing itself from its former position as a general commercial printer, and into its current guise in large format offset, display, and packaging, moving out of three sites in and around Mascot and into a new purpose-built factory in Chipping Norton, and investing in a massive KBA sheetfed press. Duarte was general manager throughout that period. Since then it has grown consistently, and now has two of the large format KBAs, a 162 and a 145.