Kennards Hire Board Welcomes Andrea Martens and Announces New Chair, Margie Haseltine

Kennards Hire is pleased to announce the appointment of Andrea Martens as non-executive board director effective 1 July. 

As an experienced Non-Executive Director of ASX listed and private company boards, Andrea has had a noteworthy career with board role appointments including KMD Brands (Kathmandu and Rip Curl) and HyGain Co (owned by Adamantem Capital). She brings a strong understanding and respect for family businesses, with her family previously owning and operating a retail business for over 20 years in South Australia.

Currently CEO of Australian Association of Data-driven Marketing and Advertising (ADMA), Andrea previously held the role of Global CMO at Jurlique International, where she led a major program of transformation for a $200M product portfolio. She has held a series of transformational leadership roles at Unilever across global brands, advancing to Managing Director and Vice President of Marketing for Unilever’s $1.2 billion Home & Personal Care business across Australasia

Kennards Hire CEO, Bill Whitehouse, welcomed Andrea, acknowledging her significant industry experience will be immensely valuable to the business as it focuses on capacity and capability to sustainably scale the business over the coming years.

“As Kennards Hire continues to grow and deliver quality products, expert advice and exceptional customer service across a broad customer base, Andrea’s  understanding of consumer marketing, and her personal experience with family businesses, will be an exciting addition to our board.  On behalf of the Kennard family and board, I’m delighted to welcome Andrea and look forward to her contribution.”

Andrea shared her excitement to be joining the board of an iconic family-owned business brand which spans Australia and New Zealand.

"Having grown up in a family business, I have a deep appreciation for the unique dynamics, challenges, and rewards that come with running a family-owned company. I look forward to contributing to Kennards Hire’s ongoing success and supporting its commitment to maintaining its core family values while scaling sustainably."

Kennards Hire also recently announced that after more than 10 years with Kennards Hire, its Chair, Brendan Fleiter, will retire from the company’s board.  Brendan joined the board in 2014 as a non-executive director and held the Chair position from 2016. 

CEO, Bill Whitehouse, said, “Brendan’s contribution to our business cannot be understated. His leadership and guidance in steering the board, especially during the challenging times of COVID and fluctuations in economic circumstances, has seen Kennards Hire stay true to its course and strategically grow its industry position.”

From 1 September, the Chair position will be held by non-executive director, Margie Haseltine, having previously joined the board in July 2022. Her distinguished 30+ year career serving in senior executive roles and on various boards, along with her significant industry experience made her the perfect person to Chair the iconic family business board. Margie also takes the honour of being the first Kennards Hire board female Chair.

With over 210 sites branches across Australia and New Zealand, and more than 1,900 employees, Kennards Hire continues to expand its network having opened its most recent branches in Melton, Victoria and Napier, New Zealand.