All change for Turoa management

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 7, Issue 338, 5 June 1990, Page 3

All change for Turoa management

Turoa Skifields is now run by a management committee following an exodus of the company's top level management staff.

Since New Zealand Ski Fields Managing Director Tony Wright resigned earlier this year Mountain Manager Andy Chapman, Operations Manager

Merv Moses and Ski School Director John Ball have packed their bags. The exodus has followed the takeover bid of the skifield by

Turoa Holdings Limited. The new team, chaired by Turoa Holdings Limited director Andrew Grimwade's son Angus, consists of mountain manag er Gr ant McMasters, assistant mountain manager Rob Finlayson, marketing manager Nancy Van der Laan and a ski school director yet to be

named. Angus Grimwade is also financial controller. Mr Grimwade said the resignations have come at a time when the company least needed them. He said he believed the losses were largely coincidental with the takeover and that Turoa has been very lucky to have had

the services of those people for so long. Mr Grimwade said Andy Chapman and John Ball had both been offered positions which were a step up in their careers and that he believed they had accepted because they offered further challenges. "It is unfortunate that we've lost both Andy and John's experience at this time. Both were very, very good at actively marketing Turoa," said Mr Grimwade. He said there was no question of them walking out on the company. "Andy has just finished helping us hire our staff for the winter, and there's no way we could have that happen if there was any ill feeling," said Mr Grimwade. ' Asked if he was concerned at the losses, he said any company is worried when it looses staff. He said the company now wants to build up an effective, efficient management team to concentrate on consolidating the ski field's operation.

Asked about staff moral in other areas, considering the uncertainty of their future employment, marketing manager Nancy Van der Laan said that uncertainty is throughout the New Zealand ski industry. "Turoa is no exception," said Miss Van der Laan. "We are under the same pressure, after three bad ski

seasons, to tighten our belts." "We have only been the most honest in dealing with staff on the future of the company and its staffing," said Mr Grimwade. "Staff have been made aware as rhuch as possible of what is happening." He said the company has not actively sought to cut staff