Today we welcome two new members to the club:
Peter England, Classification: Information Technology - Management  and 
Doug McLean, Classification: Corporate Accounting - Management.
 
Meeting them online by Zoom will have to suffice until normal meetings resume. But we append short biographies to help you to get to know them better. 
 
 
 
 
Peter England    Classification: Information Technology - Management
 
Interests and Community
Club Memberships - MCC, MFC, KLTC
Associations - Member of the Old Scotch Collegians Association (OSCA). Council member for nine years and President of the association in 2010.
Sailing, Travel and Melbourne Football Club.
 
Business (Semi Retired)
Currently I am the principal of the Business Handyman that provides support to small and medium size businesses. Working in a part time capacity I am assisting businesses, and their staff, embrace the benefits and deal with the challenges the digital transformation process presents.
 
Print Media Group (1992 - 2017)
Chief Information Officer. As the CIO I was responsible for the introduction of major changes presented by the Digital revolution in Information Technology specialising in print manufacturing, logistics and financial management. This is designed to not only deliver today’s customers changing requirements but also to forge a path into the future delivery of business communications.
 
I commenced with this business as a Product Manager. I then moved into the role of National Marketing Manager working closely with the National Sales Team to secure major Print Management contracts.  My responsibility also included the concept, design and development of Print Media Group’s innovative print and logistics supply business. This is now an industry-leading Print Management platform. In addition I developed with my team the strategic plan to build an industry leading Online Customer Access system and integrated voice and data network capabilities.
 
Price Waterhouse Urwick
Joining the business in 1990 I spent two years developing new business opportunities for their IT and Business Services consulting groups. Prior to this, I worked in the Executive Search and Recruitment industry undertaking specialty recruitment assignments in Australia and overseas specialising in IT, Finance and Senior General Management roles in the IT, Banking and Services sectors.
 
My work experience in IT commenced in the mid 70s when electric devices were first introduced into Australia replacing mechanical accounting machines. This included programming basic electro mechanical machines through punch card, paper tape and magnetic tape. Of recent times my role has been complex strategic planning and development of all systems and services delivered to meet current customer and company business needs but with a strong emphasis on future technological development.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Doug McLean   Classification: Corporate Accounting - Management.

We asked Doug McLean for a few personal details, as members won’t have the opportunity to chat to him over a glass of red at a “normal” Rotary meeting  (remember these?)

Doug replied with some dot points:

  • I was born in Windsor Canada and grew up on a mixed dairy and cropping farm near Lake Erie, my brothers and nephews still run the farms.
  • I went to McMaster University near Toronto and studied commerce.
  • I worked for PWC in Edmonton for over 5 years and qualified as a Chartered Accountant before transferring in 1983 to Auckland as a manager.
  • I moved on from public accounting and worked for Douglas Pharmaceuticals (owners of Karicare infant formula) Carter Holt Harvey (large timber company) in NZ before moving to Melbourne in 1993 with Cummins Diesel Engine Co.
  • I have had a number of other roles in Melbourne including with BTR Nylex at the Pink Batts division as financial controller.
  • I then took on a role at Hartman Pacific/Gorilla Ladders initially as their financial controller then became managing director, they are one of the largest importers of outdoor furniture and ladders in Australia sourced from factories in China.
  • I then moved on to Tilling Timber a large family owned timber importing business based in Kilsyth as CFO, with branches across Australia.
  • In 2014 I accepted a contract role at a new company called Forico based in Launceston, the business had recently acquired the assets of the old Gunns plantation timber business which was coming out of receivership and now is owned by overseas pension funds.  Forico is the largest private land owner in Tasmania (170,000 hectares) and for the next 5 years I worked on a weekly FIFO basis to put the business back on it’s feet.
  • In mid 2019 I decided to end my contract with Forico and base myself back in Melbourne full time.
  • I have been a member of the following clubs over the years-
  • 4-H Dairy Calf Club (a big American youth organisation for kids growing up on farms)
  • Boys Scouts and Venturers as a member and later in life as a Cub Scout leader
  • Director on the Harrow Agricultural Society board, organisers for a large annual agricultural fair in my home town
  • Chairperson and director on the Korowa Foundation the main fund raising group for Korowa Anglican Girls School
  • I have two grown daughters Laura and Charlotte who attended Korowa and a long term partner Terry Kitchen.
  • We are supporters of the Melbourne footy club although I’m still learning about the game, we love to travel and look forward to this again one day and live in Malvern.

I look forward to meeting all you in person whenever things return to the “new normal”.