Chief Executive’s comment The next chapter for Century Batteries is coming

As my time comes to an end with MTA, I have cast my mind back over some of the events of the last year. There are many, but one theme seems unfortunately apt as I write this in March 2023. My CE’s comment in the September 2022 edition of Radiator caught my attention.

Let me quote: “It feels like it’s barely stopped raining since I last wrote my Radiator column. I hope those of you in floodaffected areas have come through unscathed and with the minimum of disruption and inconvenience…The pictures from Nelson in particular have been hard to believe…”

I could have written the very same comment in January when Cyclone Hale was devastating Northland, Auckland and the Coromandel.

I could have written the very same comment, but with even more intensity, in February when Cyclone Gabrielle carved up Hawke’s Bay and the East Cape.

I’m not sure what this sequence of terrible events tells us.

Resorting to conspiracy theories or biblical end-time themes is not my style – but it does seem like something’s is going on…Here’s to a more settled spring, following the summer that for too many of us never was.

It is hard to fully appreciate the challenges many of our members have had to endure when faced with catastrophe on the scale seen over the last few weeks. The great news is that our team has been there for our members – our phones have run hot, webinars organised, hardship and morale boosting funds made available, teams have visited the most affected areas and more initiatives are being considered to provide assistance wherever we can.

On a brighter note, and weather aside, we have much to look forward to from a business perspective. The sustainability initiative kicked off this week; great work is being done on the bringing together of an MTA Manifesto, which will be launched in Parliament in May; the website will go live next month, our Strategy has been reviewed and renewed; our Learning Portfolio is kicking off with a WoF training roll-out in collaboration with DEKRA; we have completed our recruitment process to replace our CFO and CEO and we look forward to moving into our new Wellington premises.

My thanks to the board, management and staff as we navigated a period of invigorating change throughout 2023.

MTA has been successfully realigned. It is important to convey and emphasise that whatever we do has the interests of our membership front and centre.

Finally, a hat-tip to our members, many of whom are doing it especially hard at present, and my personal thanks to you all for your resilience, support and good-natured humour through the best and the worst of times.

IAN PIKE Chief Executive

Century life. Our reputation for quality and innovation has been refined and proven over many decades, delivering a range of market leading products which continue to set new standards in technology and performance. But at Century we continue to innovate and improve, because that’s the Century way. and

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