Michael Jeanes, managing director of Miele Australia and New Zealand, today announced that he will be retiring towards the end of 2015, after 26 years working for the German appliance manufacturer. His successor will be Sjaak Brouwer, currently the managing director of Miele Holland in the Netherlands.
“The last 10 years here in Australia has been enormously satisfying both from a career perspective and personally for my wife Patricia and me,” Jeanes told me. “During that time, Miele ANZ has enjoyed great growth. I am immensely proud of the contribution I have been able to make alongside the excellent Miele teams, with whom I have worked and the vibrant and eclectic group of retailers who are our business partners.”
Jeanes said he plans on returning to his native United Kingdom. Before that, however, he is looking forward to inducting his successor into the Miele ANZ business.
“Sjaak Brouwer has been with Miele for the more than six years as a most successful managing director of Miele Holland. He has previous experience at Unilever and Gillette.
“He will transition into the role of managing director of Miele ANZ during the course of the third quarter of 2015, in order to ensure a smooth changeover.”
Although a fierce rival with Miele’s native Germany on the sporting field, the Netherlands has proven to be a huge success for the company famous for its kitchen and laundry appliances and vacuum cleaners. At the IFA conference in Berlin in September 2013, Miele c0-owner Dr Reinhard Zinkann said the Netherlands was Miele’s fifth biggest market in the world, after Germany, Australia, Switzerland, the United States.
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