After almost three years with the company.

“It is with much regret that we have to inform you about the resignation of Mark Tragear (pictured) as chief marketing officer of V-Zug Australia,” said a statement issued recently by V-Zug head of international markets, Ralph Kobsik to local business customers.

“Mark has been instrumental in bringing our company in Australia out of the pioneering stage into a position of a respected supplier of Swiss made electrical appliances for the kitchen and laundry room. It has been mutually agreed that his departure is with immediate effect. We take the opportunity to thank Mark for his important contributions and wish him good luck in his future undertakings.

“At the same time, I am pleased to inform you that I will personally be taking over the responsibility as ‘acting head of sales and marketing’ from our offices in Melbourne,” Kobsik said.

“On this occasion we would like to thank you as our business partner for the successful and professional cooperation as well as your trust into the V-Zug brand. We look forward to another year of joint success and growth,” the statement concluded.

Tragear joined V-Zug in June 2014 as sales and marketing director after four and a half years with BSH.

In separate statements provided to Appliance Retailer, Kobsik said that it remained “business as usual” within the organisation.

“As we are living in times where there is nothing more constant than permanent change, we also do to consider a change like this as nothing too exceptional and we continue to work very closely together with all our trusted partners of V-Zug in the local market to provide even more Australian customers with the unique experience, excitement and the benefits of our outstanding V-Zug appliances for their daily lives,” Kobsik said.

Winning Appliances CEO David Woollcott told Appliance Retailer: “We are sorry to see Mark go – he has been instrumental to taking V-Zug to the next level in Australia, and it is now a recognised premium cooking brand in Australia with exceptional product quality”.

Appliance Retailer understands that the business has experienced strong double-digit growth over the last 12 months following the installation of the brand through additional Winning Appliances and E&S Trading shopfronts. This growth was driven by an extensive retailer training program which has seen a large number of retailers flown to the V-Zug head office in Melbourne.

Kobsik has been the Head of International markets at V-Zug for two years. Prior to joining V-Zug, Kobsik spent 13 years with BSH and most recently was the director of regional sales for consumer products responsible for Eastern Europe, Turkey, Middle East and Africa.

Mark Tragear was not available for comment.