Founder and CEO of leading industry recruitment company Stockdale Personnel moves on after 14 years. Tom Stockdale will step down at the end of June after confidently handing operations over to ten-year company stalwart, Sean Cathie.
Stockdale set up the Melbourne-based business in 2001, which has steadily grown over the years to include a Sydney office that opened in 2006. Nearly two years ago the company was taken over by not-for-profit Interwork Australia, formerly INGT, which Stockdale says has been great for business. He tells Print21 that he’s leaving the business in the best state it’s ever been and looks forward to spending some more time with his family.
- Tom Stockdale and Sean Cathie
“It feels like the right time to pass it on. We’re busier than we’ve ever been. We have more clients and more employees than we’ve ever had, I couldn’t ask for more. Sean has been with us for ten years and he knows the business inside and out, he’s as much a part of it as I am. It’s quite exciting actually, and we’re confident that it’ll be business as usual,” said Stockdale.
Cathie will take over as general manager from the first of July, following a healthy transition period of about six months. A printing industry veteran, he takes up the reins as Stockdale Personnel continues to expand its business offering into large format, and signage and display.
Stockdale adds that, “We made the decision early this year, so Sean and I have been working through the details for a couple of months now. We’ve been growing the business together for a while. This was a opportunity for me to spend some time with the family, but I imagine I’ll still stay in touch with the group.”
Cathie joined the business in 2004 and is currently national operations manager. He started out in the industry in 1984 as an apprentice dot etcher with PMP, going on to move up the ranks to prepress manager. In 1997 he headed over to Prism Graphics as production manager, before making the move to Stockdale.