Auburn HQ is up for sale as Printing Industries heads back to the North Shore from Sydney's Western Suburbs, shedding senior staff and repositioning itself under new CEO Jason Allen.
Among the casualties is long-time Printing Industries national communications director Joe Kowalewski, who is leaving after 21 years service to the association. Paul Nieuwhof is also leaving from the West Australian office as is Jenny Berry, acting state manager Victoria & Tasmania.
According to Allen, there is nothing untoward in the changes. “It’s just a restructure and it’s something that our members have been requesting for some time,” he said. “There's no elephant in the room. It’s quite normal for an association to go through this process."
The Association's Auburn offices have been put on the market while a new office location has been found in Help Street, Chatswood, with the move expected to be completed by late-November.
Allen wished all departing staff the very best for their futures. New recruit, Katie Stokes, will be taking up the WA state sales manager role after Nieuwhof. She has a background in sales and most recently was a BDM at the WA Chamber Commerce and Industry. New general manager of sales and marketing Sandrine Dart will assume some of Kowalewski’s duties and a PR firm will handle media releases.
Sydney office accounts business support officer Michelle Staszak will not be making the move to Chatswood and has resigned after nine years. She will work on until a suitable replacement is found.
In a statement Allen praised the work of the resigning employees. “Joe in particular has had a long and distinguished career, serving six CEO's during his time and becoming an integral part of just about every project and service the association has developed," said Allen. "His current role included wide ranging portfolios encompassing our communications and media liaison, website development and management, participation at major events such as PrintEx and Pacprint, our Better Business partner relationships, webinar program, publications and newsletters, liaising with other industry associations locally and in the USA and providing advice to members across a wide range of issues.
"More recently he added industry research to his portfolio producing the Web-2-Print report and laying the groundwork for an expansion of research as a service, again demonstrating his exceptional adaptability and commitment."
In return Kowalewski signed off with aplomb. “I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your assistance and support during the various stages of my twenty one year career with the association,” said the popular media liaison officer.
“It's been an exhilarating experience to witness from the inside the evolution of the Association from its PATEFA days to the present time and know that it's a continuing process. Change is inevitable in everything, as Johannes Gutenberg showed us almost 600 years ago, but it's what you do with it that makes the difference. I look forward to new challenges and opportunities buoyed by the knowledge gained through the industry, its people and its constant ability to reinvigorate and I thank you all for being a part of this experience,” he said.