Steve Dunwell will retire from his role as managing director of manroland Australasia, following a 40 year stint in the industry.

Dunwell has always worked in the supply side of the industry, collaborating with some of the most innovative vendors in his time, and creating a series of industry firsts.

He says, “My last official day at manroland will be February 10, after a wonderful 40 years in the industry. I have been very fortunate to represent some great companies with leading edge technology at the right time, and worked with many fabulous people that have made a difference in my live. It is still fun but the next challenge beckons.”

Dunwell’s departure forms part of a generational change at manroland Australasia, with service director Graham Wickham also retiring. Dennis Wickham, former sheetfed manager, will step us as new managing director, with former web services manager Andreas Schwoepfinger the new director of technical services.

Dunwell says, “Both Dennis and Andreas have been taking MBAs in preparation for their new roles. They are ready for the task, the industry can have full confidence in them and in manfoland’s ability to stay at the forefront of technological innovation.”

Throughout the 1980s and 90s Dunwell was at the forefront of prepress in both commercial and newspaper print, with his MediaTech business representing Scitex and a host of leading edge technology and transforming the prepress arenas of many of the country’s leading commercial and newspaper printers.

In 2000 MediaTech was bought by Creo when Creo and Scitex merged, with Dunwell staying on as sales and marketing director. Three years later Dunwell joined Currie Group’s biggest state business as NSW state manager, and six years after that was headhunted by manroland to set up its own direct subsidiary in Australasia.

He steered the company through the difficult period five years ago when MAN Roland went broke just as two major Aussie customers had paid big deposits on new presses. The company was split into web and sheetfed, with the web business – including the Australasian subsidiary – bought by German industrial conglomerate Possehl and the sheetfed business by UK entrepreneur Tony Langley. Both business are now back in the black, the web business having the majority market share, although that sector is a fraction of the size it was before the GFC, global sales last year for all web presses were just $305m, and this year will be even less. manroland Australasia has just scored a major order with Blue Star Web buying a new Rotoman.

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