Dorchester Announces Two Senior Appointments

10 November 2010

Dorchester Pacific Limited (DPC) today announnced two new senior appointments to its management team.
Barbara Badish has been appointed to the role of Group Financial Controller commencing on 1 December 2010.   Barbara has held senior management positions in the financial services and banking sectors with companies both in New Zealand and overseas including Geneva Finance, KPMG and HSBC.

The Company has also announced that it has appointed  Mark Richardson to take overall responsibility for the recruitment and management of Dorchester’s sales force and provide business development support for the Savings and Insurance business.   Mark has had extensive sales and marketing experience at GM level including 4 years as Global Business Development Manager with 42 Below Ltd.   He will join the Company in the New Year.

Commenting on the appointments, Paul Byrnes Executive Director and CEO said:
“Following  the appointment in September of Greg Main to the role of General Manager - Insurance and Lending, these latest two appointments complete the management structure we had planned following our recent successful capital reconstruction and capital raising.   I am delighted at the very high calibre of executives we have attracted to the business and the depth and breadth of experience we now have within our senior management team.

Over the past 12 months we have made a number of positive changes to our business.   Following our capital raising earlier this year we have continued to build momentum and are tracking ahead of the forecasts we put forward as part of our restructuring plan.

Our focus continues to be on delivering value to our shareholders through conservative growth.   We are also actively marketing the business and have just launched a new advertising campaign using print and radio media with a  ‘Let’s be Honest’ theme.   The very positive and immediate feedback bodes well as we continue to grow our lending book and insurance business”.

Mr Byrnes also paid tribute to the outgoing General Manager - Finance and Property, Tristram van der Meijden who sees out his fixed term contract at 31 December 2010.  

Mr van der Meijden has accepted an appointment as CFO of listed retirement lifestyle company Metlifecare and commences in that role in the New Year.  “We wish Tristram well in his new role.    He has made a tremendous contribution at Dorchester and I can’t think of anyone that I would rather have had alongside me on the rollercoaster ride into, and then successfully out of, moratorium.   He  leaves Dorchester in very good shape”.

ENDS