Christchurch work builds up for Fletcher

Mark Malpass, Tim Richards and Graham Darlow, chief executives of Fletcher Building's concrete division, building products division and construction division. Photo / Greg Bowker

A group of new divisional chiefs have taken over at New Zealand's biggest listed company in the last few months as Fletcher Building gears up for more roading and Christchurch work.

Mark Malpass, 42, and Graham Darlow, 57, are filling Mark Binns' boots after he left to become chief executive of state-owned power company Meridian Energy in Wellington.

In the new group of four bosses, Darlow is the longest-serving Fletcher employee, originally starting with the business in 1988.

Darlow, a New Zealander, was appointed chief executive of construction on December 15 and was previously general manager of Fletcher Construction's engineering division.

Darlow said he was keen for Fletcher to continue to build on its Christchurch projects.

Fletcher Construction has a $1.3 billion backlog and Darlow said the business had been named preferred contractor on work worth a further $600 million including the Kapiti Coast Expressway and the Waikato Expressway.

Malpass, also a New Zealander, was appointed chief executive of concrete on December 5.

He was previously in Singapore in charge of fuels strategy and implementation throughout the Asia Pacific region for ExxonMobil Corporation, a business he worked in for 19 years, and is a former chief executive of Mobil New Zealand and a director of New Zealand Refining.

Tim Richards, 45, an Australian, is the new chief executive of building products. He was appointed on January 16 and was previously general manager of Stramit Building Products based in Sydney.

These three executive changes were preceded on October 1 by Mark Adamson being appointed chief executive of Fletcher's combined laminates and panels division.

Adamson, based in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been president and chief executive of Formica Group since March, 2008. He moved to Cincinnati from the Formica UK office in Newcastle about two years ago.

WHO'S WHO

Jonathan Ling, chief executive, managing director
Mark Adamson, chief executive, laminates & panels
John Beveridge, chief executive, distribution
Graham Darlow, chief executive, construction
Mark Malpass, chief executive, concrete
Tim Richards, chief executive, building products
David Worley, chief executive, Crane
Paul Zuckerman, chief executive, steel