By Chris Nicholls

SYDNEY: Veteran Dyson sales director, Mike Daish, has left Australia after nine years to take up a secondment as vice president of key accounts at Dyson USA.

In a statement released by the company, Dyson South East Asia managing director, Ross Cameron, said Daish’s ‘hands-on’ approach helped him gain “enormous respect within the industry”.

“Mike has been instrumental in establishing the Dyson brand in Australia and his never ending passion for the products, and enthusiasm for the industry has played a big part in Dyson both gaining, and continuing to maintain and grow our market position,” said Cameron.

“We are very sad to be saying farewell to Mike from the Australian team, but share his excitement at the opportunity to tackle Dyson US, and everyone who knows Mike will know his competitive nature, and the fact that this was simply a challenge he couldn’t pass up.”

Daish said he had enjoyed selling a brand that brought “technology, innovation and design to people”.

“As long as the industry keeps having fun, embracing new and innovative technology and supporting brands that support the marketplace, not commodity brands that take the value out of the market, then the future is bright,” he said.

Looking to his US challenge, Daish said he would have to adapt to a marketplace based around mass merchants, with unassisted sales.

Daish will be replaced by New Zealand native Mark Anderson, who is understood to be in the process of moving here to begin his role mid September.