Vulcan Steel managing director (MD) and chief executive officer (CEO) Rhys Jones is set to retire from his role after 19 years of leadership at the company.
Jones first joined Vulcan Steel in 2006 as an executive director and worked his way up to become managing director and CEO in 2011.
Jones has previously held several management positions within the steel industry, including an executive of Fletcher EasySteel NZ and being the general manager and CEO of Pacific Steel and Wiremakers, respectively.
“On behalf of the board, I extend our deep gratitude to Rhys for his exceptional leadership and dedication,” Vulcan Steel chair Russell Chenu said.
“His contribution has been instrumental in positioning Vulcan as a leader in steel and other metals distribution in Australia and New Zealand.”
Current Vulcan Steel chief commercial officer Gavin Street will replace Jones.
Street first joined the company in 2024, bringing more than 20 years’ experience in management, industrial product distribution, and strategic acumen.
Jones will remain at Vulcan Steel for the next six months to ensure a smooth leadership transition, with Street’s appointment to take effect on January 1 2026.
“We are pleased that (Jones) will continue to support the business as non-executive chair, and we warmly welcome Gavin into the role as MD/CEO, confident in his ability to lead us forward,” Chenu said.
“We also acknowledge the ongoing commitment of (Vulcan Steel chief operating officer) Adrian (Casey), whose support will be invaluable throughout this transition.”
Chenu has also announced his plans to step down as chair.
Chenu holds over 23 years in senior management roles that involved strategic business planning and business change. He has also been an independent non-executive director of CIMIC Group since June 2014.
To ensure consistency and to utilise Jones’ industry expertise, the board has proposed for Jones to succeed Chenu as chair.
Jones will stand for election as director at the company’s next annual shareholder meeting in October. If elected, Jones will assume the role of non-executive chair of the from January 1 2026.
Founded in 1995, Vulcan Steel distributes a range of products to the steel and metals sectors across Australia and New Zealand. The company runs 66 logistics and processing facilities comprising approximately 1300 employees.
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