SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA: Chairman of Codan Limited, David Simmons, announced that Alf Ianniello has been appointed Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Codan.
Alf Ianniello will assume the role on 4 January 2022, replacing Donald McGurk, who will retire from this role at that time.
Prior to this appointment, Alf Ianniello was Chief Executive Officer of the Adelaide-based Detmold Group for 14 years. In a highly competitive market, he positioned the Detmold Group to become a leading international packaging solutions provider.
Mr Ianniello has previously held a number of senior positions during a 12-year international career in the automotive and defence industries, notably with Schefenacker Vision Systems and British Aerospace.
Mr Simmons said: “On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to announce Alf’s appointment. Having served on the Detmold Board for eight years up until 2019, I was able to see at first-hand that Alf was an outstanding CEO and leader. He has a proven track record of leveraging innovation and organisational capabilities and achieved significant growth in sales and profitability during his time as CEO, with revenues reaching US$450 million.
Our search criteria of appointing a CEO with international experience whilst running a complex business at scale has been fulfilled with Alf’s appointment”.
Alf has a Bachelor of Engineering majoring in Electronic Engineering and completed the Wharton Business School Global CEO program at the University of Pennsylvania in 2012. Alf has lived and worked in the USA and has managed businesses around the world, including major facilities in China, Vietnam, Singapore, Dubai, Indonesia and South Africa.
Mr Simmons said: “Today’s appointment will enable the Board and the senior leadership team to plan for a smooth transition. The Board is proud of our senior leadership team members who remain fully focused on continuing to deliver for our shareholders.
Donald has committed to staying on for as long as Alf considers it worthwhile to ensure a seamless transition during the first quarter of calendar 2022. The current plan is for Alf and Donald to visit all our staff, key customers and major suppliers in Australia and around the world in late January 2022, and then Donald will accompany Alf on the investor presentation circuit in February next year.”
“It was important that all candidates for this role fully understood our detailed three-year plan. I can confirm that this plan remains in place and that Alf will pick it up and own it. As I stated at the AGM, there will be no big business or organisational review, just a simple plan to get on with executing the existing plan. Alf is a young but very experienced executive leader, which means that he and the Board can work together to further develop the Codan business over an extended period of time”.
“I would like to recognise the contribution of Donald McGurk. Under his leadership, Codan has become one of Australia’s genuinely global technology companies that is recognised as a world leader in developing robust and reliable electronics solutions for government, corporate, NGO and consumer markets across the globe. On a personal level, it has been a real pleasure to have worked closely with Donald since I became Chairman in 2015. The Board and I wish Donald all the best for the future”.
CEO elect, Alf Ianniello said: “I am honoured and privileged to be appointed CEO and to have the opportunity to lead the talented and hardworking people (many of whom I already know) who make Codan a global leader in its core markets. Codan is one of a few Australian companies that has seen its technology accepted by international military, intelligence, and enforcement organisations.
I will bring a disciplined approach to my role and I am excited by the growth opportunities that exist across the business. Importantly the “can do” Codan culture will be further developed under my leadership”.
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