RDO Australia Group’s CEO Julie Whitcombe is preparing to seamlessly integrate three equipment businesses.
A GROWING
FAMILY
RDO AUSTRALIA GROUP APPOINTS NEW CEO JULIE WHITCOMBE AHEAD OF A YEAR OF GROWTH AND EXPANSION FOR 2020. ROADS & INFRASTRUCTURE SITS DOWN WITH JULIE TO FIND OUT WHAT IS IN STORE FOR ITS CONSTRUCTION BRANDS.
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n 2019, RDO Australia Group increased its holdings in two family-owned Australian equipment companies from 50 to 100 per cent – Vermeer and Vanderfield. The consolidation of its Australian business interests prompted the need for a new CEO to steer the equipment company through a period of growth. While also being the sole John Deere Construction and Forestry distributor across six states and territories in Australia, RDO Australia Group places existing family values at the core of its new business, paving the way for strong relationships with its people and clients. Like RDO Australia Group, Vermeer and Vanderfield have longstanding and strong family values. Julie Whitcombe has been appointed the new CEO of RDO Australia Group, with a goal to seamlessly combine the three businesses and ensure these family values are upheld across the company. These values, Ms. Whitcombe says, will remain an integral part of the business as it expands across the country. “Ultimately it’s all about making our customers’ businesses better. We want to be a real partner for our clients, and we are excited to be working on that this year,” Ms. Whitcombe says. As the company continued to grow its equipment footprint, an experienced leader was needed to drive RDO’s vision of becoming the best equipment dealer in Australia. With a background in regional Australia and experience leading resource projects, Ms. Whitcombe was initially chosen to lead RDO Equipment and Vermeer Australia as their new Chief Operating Officer.
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ROADS FEBRUARY 2020