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Our Barminco
Introducing Barminco
Deputy Chair, Keith Gordon
“Certainly Barminco has weathered the
storm better than a number of its peers,”
he says. “The company has demonstrated
great resilience and capability.”
This is true praise indeed from the former Managing Director
and CEO of Emeco Holdings and a prior senior executive at
Wesfarmers who was Managing Director of CSBP and led the
post-merger integration of Coles.
Keith also has 25 years’ of professional business experience in
large global organisations. He’s currently the Chairman of GMA
Garnet Group, the Chairman of EDGE Employment Solutions
and until recently a director at Hay Group Australia.
Keith, who holds a Bachelor of Sc (Agric) Hons and MBA from
the University of Western Australia, says he was inspired and
excited to join the Barminco board.
“My philosophy on leadership is to inspire an organisation to be
the best it can be,” he says.
“It is important for a business to have a clear sense of
purpose, but sometimes, having a very structured vision can
inhibit a company, It is important to retain the flexibility to take
opportunities as they come and as they’re presented.”
“I’m also inspired by resilient businesses which keep their
people safe, service customers well and whose people work
together as a team.”
But when it comes to business priorities, Keith says safety has to
be paramount in any organisation. “My first hands-on exposure
to safety was at CSBP, a challenging work environment with
many safety considerations. Whilst there, it became clear how
people getting hurt at work impacts on them, their families and
the business - and that shouldn’t be the case.”
“Everyone has a right to go home in the way they come to work.
Plus, having a great safety record is also good business, which
is something that Barminco can be very proud of.”
And when it comes to life outside work, Mr Gordon admits his
personal life is equally as full and enriched as his professional
life, with a wife, two children and two dogs making up his
immediate family.
“My daughter Rebecca has just finished a double degree and
has since been travelling in Europe. She is now back and is
about to embark on her first job in the banking sector as a
graduate,” he explains.
“My son Andrew is studying commerce at UWA part time. He’s
quite the entrepreneur and has taken an interest in lighting and
sound which has led him to an event and management business
which he started with a couple of mates. Andrew has told me:
‘I never want a job like yours Dad!’”
“And then my wife Alex works part time in a school library. She
studied science and we met at UWA, and to complement my
family I also have two dogs, Max and Toby – a Maltese Poodle
cross and Schnauzer cross.”
“My hobbies include travel and I also have a place at
Ravenswood on the river, in between Mandurah and Pinjarra.
I have a little boat down there and love going out on it. I’m
fortunate as my life is very full and enriched.”
“CERTAINLY BARMINCO HAS
WEATHERED THE STORM
BETTER THAN A NUMBER
OF ITS PEERS,” HE SAYS.
“THE COMPANY HAS
DEMONSTRATED GREAT
RESILIENCE AND CAPABILITY.”