Muller Martini's local MD departs in global restructure

Muller Martini's Australian head has voiced his support for a global restructure that led to his position being made redundant.

The Swiss finishing manufacturer will now run all servicing and marketing out of eight regions, although it said all established sales and service companies would remain in force.

Australia will be part of the Asia Pacific region, which will be based in Singapore and also cover New Zealand, Japan, Korea and south-east Asia.

Livio Barbagallo told ProPrint that Australia had been pushing for the restructure, which is designed to maximise efficiencies by centralising product and service specialists.

Barbagallo, who hails from Switzerland, said he now considered himself part of the local printing scene and planned to remain in his "new home" country.

He said he would start searching for his next position in the new year after handing over to sales manager Roman Beeler, who will become Australian general manager as of 1 January.

[Related: Barbagallo named GAMAA vice-president]

Barbagallo joined Muller Martini as a product manager in 1996, soon after finishing university. He was involved in mailing, newspapers and finishing, and also created a print delivery department, before moving to Australia in 2003.

He said he had witnessed dramatic changes over the past decade: the disappearance of many medium-sized firms, a greater focus on costs and a reduction in large machinery sales.

"It's a completely different market, but the printing industry is not in a different position to other industries, which also face challenges," he said.

Barbagallo told ProPrint that Muller Martini's restructure would help it deal with the changing market and that the company would also benefit from its "very well-developed R&D".

It follows a year of senior-level changes at many equipment suppliers, including Andy Vels Jensen resigning from Heidelberg, Thomas Klumpp moving back to Ferag HQ in Switzerland, Simon Lane being promoted at Fuji Xerox Australia and Shane Lucas departing from HP.

[Related: More job news]