RME bolsters its leadership, further prioritising Customers and careers

Mill relining systems Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), RUSSELL MINERAL EQUIPMENT (RME), has today announced appointments to its Chief Executive Team (CET) and Board of Directors, consistent with the company’s operational sustainability goals, as the global leader in mill relining technologies.

Underscoring the highest priority RME continues to assign to its Customers and the development of its employees’ careers, the appointments see RME’s General Manager Manufacturing, Geoff Wadsworth joining the CET as Chief Operations Officer (COO), and Chief Customer Officer, Cherylyn Russell transitioning from the CET to join RME Holding’s Board. 

Chief Sales Officer (CSO) and CET member, Eddie Bosnjak will become RME’s new Chief Customer Officer. John Howard continues to serve RMEH’s Board as Company Secretary and on the CET as RME’s Chief Financial Officer.

RME Founder, Executive Chairman and Chief Engineer, Dr John Russell described the appointments as evidence of RME’s focus on the future as the company approaches its 40th anniversary. 

“The appointments announced today are a result of careful succession planning and thoughtful investment in talent development over several years. They strengthen the collective skills and experience within our Board and Chief Executive Team, helping to ensure RME’s leadership is appropriately bolstered for the future,” said Dr Russell.   

“As a Customer-centric organisation, it is right that we supplement our Board with a director who has driven increasing Customer focus in our organisation. As an organisation committed to continuous development of our employees and fostering their careers, it is appropriate that we invest in, recognise and promote outstanding leadership, talent and hard work.”

With a passion for growing internal capability and professional development, Mr Wadsworth also brings a broad depth and breadth of experience to his role. He is deeply committed to the optimisation and sustainability of RME’s OEM operations. 

“My tenure with the company has been highly rewarding in this respect and I know how much our people value growth and seeing how they can progress and create value for RME’s Customers and their colleagues.”

In various roles in the past 11 years, Ms Russell helped RME to realise the company’s aspiration and two-fold purpose through its latest generation of products and services. She oversaw the maturing of the company’s sales process and organisation, and established critical capabilities including product management and customer experience. This uniquely qualifies her to complement RME’s Board and support the CET with ongoing guidance. 

“We proactively listen and then energetically act upon the voice of our various Customer segments, balancing our own insights and instincts as an OEM of 40 years, with this feedback from our Customers. 

“Our Net Promoter Scores regularly exceed +70 and our products and services roadmap adapts to reflect the values and goals of our users and buyers.” 

RME’s new Chief Customer Officer, Eddie Bosnjak joined RME in 2019 following more than a decade at the Commonwealth Bank. As CSO, he has overseen sustainable growth of RME’s integrated capital equipment value stream and site service and optimisation (SS&O) value stream, resulting in safety improvements and positive productivity and commercial outcomes for Customers.

“Our mill operator Customers are naturally focussed on mill availability,” said Mr Bosnjak. “They love working with RME, the OEM who is committed to them and to delivering quality products. 

“As RME’s Chief Customer Officer I’m honoured to continue our company’s legacy and drive safety and productivity improvements for our Customers as well as profitable outcomes in their operations.” 

RME identifies as a Mittelstand OEM and as such, prizes institutional knowledge, internal growth and opportunities, fostering close collaboration with its Customers. While RME wasn't initially designed as a Mittelstand company, it mirrors the values and model of an Australian Mittelstand, emphasising a commitment to ownership responsibility and sustainability. 

“Like traditional Mittelstand businesses, RME operates with the mindset of perpetuity, embodying the essence of business sustainability,” added Dr Russell.

“In the 40 years since I founded RME, our DNA has strengthened, and this continues as we evolve. RME’s DNA is the output of our company culture and comprises our aspiration to improve the human condition through responsible access to metals at lower cost, and our two-fold purpose, which is ‘to enable our Customers to remove fatal risk through innovative solutions’ and ‘to visibly, defensibly and sustainably improve our Customers’ concentrator performance.’

“Our commitment to collaborative leadership or ‘juntos’, meaning ‘togetherness’, enables us to build succession into our workforce, consistent with the generational continuity trait of successful Mittlelstand companies – for the benefit of our people, Customers, communities and company. Our market leadership remains steadfast.”

About RUSSELL MINERAL EQUIPMENT 

RUSSELL MINERAL EQUIPMENT (RME) is the world’s leading Mill Relining Systems Technology OEM. We invent machine systems and service-based solutions for problems encountered in the world’s mining and mineral processing industries. Our technologies deliver short shutdowns, high mill availability and safe working environments. Established in 1985, RME has grown to operate in 64 countries, has 13 international Sales and Service Centres and employs more than 450 people worldwide. For more information about RME: www.rmeglobal.com 

Media contact
Emma Needham
+61 (0)400 266 659
emma@emmaneedham.com.au

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