Australian family-owned and operated business, Kennards Hire has appointed Stuart Dean as chief operations officer (COO).

Dean has worked in the hire industry for almost 20 years and is a long-term employee of Kennards Hire.

Dean joined Kennards Hire as group IT program manager in 2009, leading the company’s Baseplan front-counter implementation.

In 2016 he was promoted to the leadership role of general manager of IT until 2017, when he moved to Queensland to take up the Queensland general manager role.

Kennards Hire CEO Angus Kennard, said he couldn’t think of a stronger choice for the role.

“A hire industry veteran, with an extensive background in both IT and operations, Stuart is just what we need to take Kennards Hire’s operations into the future,” he said.

Dean said he was honoured to be chosen as Kennards Hire’s new COO.

“The hire industry is constantly evolving. There’s a clear industry focus towards the adoption of new technologies to make customer jobs easier and safer. It’s exciting to be part of a business that embraces innovation and invests in new ideas, products and services.”

Former COO, Bill Whitehouse, will move into the new role of general manager, operational projects.

Kennards Hire said Whitehouse has been critical to the success of Kennards Hire over the last 30 years and will continue to play a key role in growing the business and seeking new operational opportunities.