TRT Welcomes New Chief Operations Officer
31 January 2018
TRT has appointed Lawrence Baker to the role of new chief operations officer and part of the TRT executive team. Lawrence will be working alongside directors Robert Carden, engineering director, and Bruce Carden, manufacturing director. With them, Lawrence will be leading the team at TRT in Australia and New Zealand into the next 50 years.
Lawrence’s appointment follows the announcement of managing director, Kevin Chubb’s resignation after 20 years at TRT. “This is a critical new role for TRT and we knew we had to find the right person to help Bruce and I lead the business,” says Robert Carden. TRT went through a lengthy international recruitment process to fill this position. “We were looking for someone that shared our vision for the future of TRT while acknowledging the rich business history and a legacy that Kevin helped to create. Lawrence is that person” adds Robert.
“Lawrence brings a whole new skill set and experience to TRT and we are looking forward to drawing on Lawrence’s past experience from the automotive and steel Industries to enhance our capabilities and enable us to find new and innovative ways to solve problems for our customers” confirms Bruce.
Lawrence brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Lawrence and his wife have moved home to NZ after residing in Australia, Western Samoa, and Japan for the past 19 years. In this time Lawrence has had senior roles in the automotive and steel industries. These companies include Yazaki Australia and Iveco. Lawrence moved into the steel industry with Smorgen Steel which later became BlueScope Steel. He was most recently Flat Steel Products Operations Manager at BlueScope Steel, based in Wollongong, NSW.
Based at the head office in Hamilton, NZ, Lawrence started at TRT in October 2017 and has had time to get to know the business “What stands out the most is its people, it’s culture, its customers, and its suppliers. I have to say from my first day everyone I have met has made me feel very welcome.”
Lawrence adds, “I love what I do and I'm always looking to improve the process. Many find this unpredictability daunting, scary and downright frustrating but it’s this that I enjoy the most. This is a new role for TRT that gives me the ability to try new things, both internally and externally and to work closely with our suppliers and customers. I am very much looking forward to the journey …for the long haul”