Warwick will take on the role of chief executive before assuming the managing director position in late April, and although Graham will be stepping down with a view to retirement, he will continue to have an active role as a member of the executive and to oversee governance as chair of Brother New Zealand’s board.
Warwick joined Brother as national sales manager in 2020, bringing a wealth of knowledge and expertise within in the print industry. He was previously general manager then CEO of Konica Minolta (which later became CSG) for 13 years, and prior to that spent five years heading up the Business and Corporate division at Telecom Mobile (now Spark).
Graham Walshe says he is delighted to find a successor in Beban, particularly after more than 40 years at the helm of a company with employees he holds in high regard. It was under Graham’s leadership that Brother’s head office successfully relocated from Wellington to Tauranga seven years ago.
Says Walshe, “I first met Warwick years ago in his previous role with Konica Minolta and it was clear then that he possessed serious business acumen. It’s wonderful that he’s now stepping into my shoes as our new managing director – we trust Warwick, we know him, we respect him greatly and the team around him are the best in the business. I have no doubt that he will go on to lead future success for Brother and I wish him all the very best.”
Beban has spent the past two years immersed in the business, joining the company only a week before New Zealand’s first COVID-19 lockdown.
Says Beban, “My introduction to the company was mostly via Zoom for the first six months. But it has been a continual progression, getting to know the people and customers while learning the company. I also completed the Brother Executive Development programme, which is normally done in person at Head Office in Japan, but it got flipped into a nine-month virtual course.”
While the foundations are strong, Beban is already planning ahead.
“It’s a really unusual situation to have such a strong investment in succession and this really has been a very well planned process. Graham and the team have built a business with incredible foundations and wonderful people. We have great market share and strong customer focus and loyalty but there is still enormous opportunity for us to grow, and I look forward to leading that.”
