The Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) chief executive Richard Dudley has announced that after 12 years in the role he is stepping down to explore new ventures and provide the organisation with an opportunity for renewal.
During his tenure Dudley has been the MTAA advocate to six Prime Ministers, five Australian Parliaments, and hundreds of public servants, advisers, and industry participants.
He says the time is right for organisation renewal as MTAA prepares for the next phase of its journey.
“My time as chief executive has been deeply satisfying knowing that the MTAA and its members and their knowledgeable and committed Boards, executive and staff have made a real difference to more than 74,000 automotive businesses employing almost 380,000 Australians,” Dudley says.
“Researching and authoring more than 70 significant submissions, appearing at dozens of departmental, parliamentary, government, and industry inquiries, investigations and gatherings and the enormous work surrounding the pandemic are hallmarks of the outcomes achieved for member associations and their thousands of automotive business constituents.
“I am immensely proud of the suite of sustainable policies, laws, regulations, tools and penalty regime outcomes we have achieved to assist small automotive businesses and automotive industries compete on a level playing field and where the domination of influential individual market participants has been checked.
While there are many highlights, Dudley says the critical three include:
- Reforms to Australian Consumer Law and the Competition and Consumer Act, including vast improvements to the Franchising Code of Code and its provisions, including a new and meaningful penalty regime, improved recognition of disclosure, transparency and goodwill and the addition of a specific schedule for new car dealer franchisees.
- The collaboration and work to bring into effect a law, regulations, rules, and penalties to mandate the provision of motor vehicle service and repair information to professional and qualified technicians – a world-first, and
- Australia’s automotive organisations now work more cohesively and cooperatively in an alliance that has produced shared positions on transitioning the Australian Vehicle Fleet and a joint submission to the National EV Strategy consultation.
Dudley says that while the next decade will realise historical changes to transport and mobility, the Federation and its members were well-positioned to meet these challenges.
“I thank the MTAA Board, particularly chairman Neville Gibb, member association chief executives, their outstanding staff – past and present – and the wider automotive family for the privilege of working for them and look forward to crossing paths in the next stage of my career,” he says.
