Profile - Laurence Stitt
Competencies
Laurence's diverse background in accounting and management positions within agriculture, manufacturing and construction industries for multinational and small and medium business brings a unique set of skills. His accounting background provides the basis for his analytical skills while his management experience in a diverse range of industries provides a high level of strategic thinking.
Experience
Laurence's career commenced with 14 years in the sugar industry involved in all facets including sugar cane production, transport and manufacture. The experience covered the State of Queensland from Nambour in the south to Cairns in the north. This work provided Laurence with a broad range of skills including stock control, maintenance planning, capital analysis and justification, strategic and business planning (including justification of expansion of cane farming enterprises and milling capacity) and software system evaluation.
He then became involved in the grain industry as it moved from a regulated State Government owned agency to a commercialised and customer focused grower cooperative. Over the next 4 years Laurence was involved in driving change by implementing a customer service philosophy into the Central Queensland industry. Broad acre stakeholders were introduced and trained in the risk management of grain trading on an international market as they moved from the single desk selling regime. At the same time Laurence introduced business strategies and operational plans which resulted in the rationalisation of operational facilities and therefore significant financial benefits in Central Queensland, which has allowed the industry to survive during times of adverse weather conditions.
Having experienced 18 years of operating in agricultural commodity driven industries, Laurence then broadened his skills by becoming the principal internal consultant with a group of small to medium enterprises operating in the supply chain of the construction industry. This group is involved in manufacturing (kitchen, sheet metal, switchboards, aluminium and timber joinery and concrete), contracting (electrical, plumbing and air-conditioning) and the provision of facility maintenance solutions. Again Laurence has been involved in driving change by delivering significant operational improvement and business growth resulting in financial stability.
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Business, CIAE (now CQU) 1979
- Graduate Diploma In Management, CIAE (now CQU) 1984
- Certified Practising Accountant, 1986
- QMI ProEdge Manufacturing Excellence Program
Industry Associations:
Current
- Secretary / Treasurer of Fitzroy Industry Regional Skills Training Inc.
- Member - Logistics Association of Australia
- Member - Rockhampton Chamber of Commerce
Previous
- Member, Central Queensland Institute of TAFE Council.
- Inaugural Chairman, Regional Engineering Group, Rockhampton.
- Member, Rockhampton Area Consultative Sub Committee.
- Member, Rockhampton Area Industry Network.
- Member, Task Force for the Central Queensland Manufacturing Strategy.