Liz Ward has been appointed Gough Group chief executive.
She takes up the role on March 12 and will be based initially in the group’s Hornby, Christchurch, head office before moving to Auckland later this year.
Ward will lead the next phase of the organisation’s development, following the departure of long-standing chief executive officer Karl Smith, group chairman Keith Taylor says.
“Liz brings a track record of leading and implementing transformational business change across a wide range of industries. Her customer-driven, results focused approach, coupled with an inclusive leadership style, will help build upon a strong organisational culture that delivers results,” Taylor says.
“Her significant executive and governance experience, together with her record of transformation and engagement, position her well to drive Gough Group’s strategic aims of creating exceptional customer experiences and inspiring our people.”
Executive director Ben Gough sees Ward’s appointment as a clear statement of direction for the group. ” Liz comes to us with a powerful record of innovation that will enable developments we believe our customers want to see.”
Ward has previously been chief executive officer of Kennards Hire based in Sydney, executive director customer services for Sydney Trains, chief executive officer of CentrePort, and has held executive positions in Telstra, Spark, and EDS. She is an independent director on the Moana Fisheries board and was director of the New South Wales Telco Authority.
The Gough Group goes back nearly 90 years and is one of New Zealand’s leading heavy equipment, materials handling, power system, and truck and trailer parts suppliers. It represents premium brands such as Caterpillar, Palfinger, Hyster and Sany through more than 60 branches across New Zealand and Australia and has 950 employees.
