Electrolux Home Products (EHP) Western Australia sales state manager, Rod Cronan, passed away this week after a long illness with cancer and his funeral was held in Perth today. He was 60.
EHP managing director, Mike Putt, told Appliance Retailer that the industry has lost a very dedicated staff member and friend of the industry.
“All at Electrolux have lost a very dear colleague in Rod Cronan,” Putt said.
“Rod was totally committed and respected by all who knew him – both within the company and throughout the retail industry generally.
“He was particularly popular in the West where he mentored and coached his team, generously passing on his wealth of experience.”
“He will be missed by all at EHP and by myself personally,” Putt added. Kambos managing director Peter Kambouris, described Cronan as genuinely one of the best guys in the industry.
“He was also one of the fairest guys as well. He told you the hard things that you needed to hear and he always returned your phone call which is very rare.”
“He will be missed by everyone within the Kambo’s family,” Kambouris added.
Harvey Norman executive director, David Ackery, said the loss of Rod Cronan was “very very sad after such a long illness”.
“Rod was from the old school, and I always found him extremely positive and easy to do business with unlike some of the more robotic practices used by some companies today. He was very highly thought of by the Harvey Norman Western Australian franchisees and he will be missed,” Ackery said.
Dorsett Retail managing director David Dorsett-Lynn agreed, “Life is the most important thing we are given and it is at times like this we are reminded of what and particularly who are valuable to us . Rod was bloke you would like to have a drink with, not pretentious and prepared to understand the issues retailers deal with daily. I had a milestone set with him after my last conversation to talk again on my return to Australia at the end of July sadly we have missed that milestone. Personally, I will very much miss Rod”.
Cronan had spent the past ten years at EHP in WA and prior to taking up that position, he had worked at Cadbury Schweppes as national sales operation manager for seventeen years.