O’Connors announces new leadership

Case IH dealership O’Connors has announced the appointment of new Chief Executive Officer, Gareth Webb, effective from July 1 this year.

Webb, who currently holds the position of Group Operations Manager, will be taking the reins from Mark O’Connor who will be retiring at the end of this year after over four decades of service to the company.

However, O’Connor will continue to serve the organisation through his position on the company board.

Chairman of the board, Richard Lewis, thanked and commended O’ Connor for his leadership and efforts over the years in ensuring the company remains a market leader in total farming equipment solutions.

“With Mark’s intention to remain on the board, a six-month leadership changeover period and an internal appointment in Gareth, we are confident O’Connors will continue to deliver a first-class service to our customers,” he says.

According to Lewis, Webb is the first leader in the dealership group’s 54 years of history who is not from the O’Connors family.

“There remains a strong family involvement in the company, both at staff and board level, and we are confident that Gareth’s appointment as CEO is the right decision to ensure we continue supporting our customers’ farming businesses to the highest level possible,” Lewis adds.

Webb started at O’Connors as a sales rep at the Birchip branch in 2004, before assuming the role of Branch Manager. He has held his current role of Operations Manager for four years.

“It’s a great honour to be appointed to the role,” Webb says.

“I’m very respectful of all of Mark’s efforts and I know he is handing over the reins to a company with a proud history and a strong foundation for me to build upon,” he says.

“I’m grateful to Mark for initiating such a measured retirement plan from a handover perspective.

“I’ve learnt a lot from him during my time at O’Connors and I know his guidance between now and the end of the year, combined with support from the board, will help me ensure O’Connors remains at the forefront of the market when it comes to customer service and commitment.”

O’Connors currently runs six Case IH dealerships across three states in Australia, located in Birchip, Bordertown, Corowa, Horsham, Shepparton and Warracknabeal.