Celebrating Anne le Clercq's Outstanding Contribution to Rowlands on her retirement.

(The transcript is below this article if you cannot watch this video at your workplace)

After 15 years of dedicated service to Rowland's, Anne le Clercq has decided to retire, leaving behind a legacy of growth and success that will remain long after she departs. 

As we bid farewell to this remarkable individual, we cannot help but reflect on the impact she has had on our Rowlands. Anne is truly a legend to all at Rowland's, and we believe it is only fitting to celebrate her achievements, from her early years in admin through to her rise in becoming our General Manager, and the qualities that made her so special. We will also explore the lasting legacy of her contributions to Rowland's.

The Early Years

Anne started her career at Rowland's as a factory administrator. During this time, she held responsibilities such as overseeing the daily operations of the factory, ensuring production schedules were met, and managing inventory. Anne quickly proved herself as a highly diligent worker, constantly seeking ways to streamline processes and enhance productivity. She was relentless in her pursuit of excellence and often went above and beyond her duties to ensure the factory ran smoothly. Even if it meant sandbagging our old factory at Magill. Her efforts paid off, and she was key in helping us achieve a success move to our modern facilities at Lonsdale.

Her Rise to General Manager

It wasn't long before Anne's passion and dedication caught the attention of Cameron Johnston, Rowland's Managing Director. Impressed with what he had seen, Cameron offered Anne the position of General Manager, entrusting her with a range of new responsibilities, including overseeing the entire production process and leading a team of employees. Anne took on this new role with determination and vigor, determined to help Rowland's grow and build a culture of mateship. During her tenure as General Manager, she led the company through challenging periods, quickly adapting to changes in the industry and implementing innovative solutions to keep Rowland's at the forefront.

The Special Qualities of Anne le Clercq: Team Spirit, Fun-loving Personality, and More

Many who have worked with Anne describe her as someone who is incredibly personable, possessing a unique ability to make everyone feel like family. Her team spirit and fun-loving personality made her a joy to work with, and her colleagues recall many fond memories of times spent with her. Her open-door policy encouraged employees to come to her with any issues they faced, and she always went out of her way to support her team. These qualities made her not only an effective leader but a beloved colleague as well.

Anne's Legacy: Rowland's Growth and Future Success

The impact of Anne's hard work and leadership at Rowland's is undeniable. Her ethos of constant improvement and pushing the boundaries of what was previously thought possible became the hallmark of Rowland's success. Her ability to guide us through change and steer the company towards growth helped establish Rowland's as a leading player in the industry, and her persistence set the foundation for future successes.

Our Final Thoughts

Anne le Clercq is a true legend in the Rowland's community. Her contributions to the company are hard to overstate, and she will be dearly missed by all who had the privilege of working with her. However, the foundation she laid has positioned Rowland's for continued success, and her legacy will inspire and motivate all of our employees, both current and those who are yet to come. We thank Anne for her service, and we wish her nothing but the utmost joy and peace in her retirement. If you have any thoughts or memories to share about Anne's contribution to Rowland's, we encourage you to send them through to us.

(Anne's Video Transcript):

Anne le Clercq  
Looking back at my career, and what I've been able to achieve and job satisfaction. I've loved my job. I did say to Cameron when I first started, that this will be my last job, and I will retire from here, which is what I'm doing.

Cameron Johnston  
Oh, don't go. No, I think my personal message is I'll absolutely miss her, her Friendship and dedication.

Anne le Clercq
Well, my journey with Rowlands started in 2008, when Cameron hired me as the administration manager, back down at the Magill factory. And I must admit, when I first started, I thought what the hell have I got myself in for. The factory was old, it rained more inside than it did outside, we had to sandbag it. So it was quite an adventure to start off with. But then in 2009, we moved down here to Lonsdale and moving into a brand new building was a great team building effort on everybody's part.

Cameron Johnston  
Anne started as an admin role very much in sort of acounts receivable payable and payroll type of function. But it became apparent that she developed an interest and a passion for the business. And that's really hard to find. So over time, I decided that she'd make an excellent general manager if she loved the business as much as I did.

Anne le Clercq  
Look, I've always sort of thought of myself as a team player. I've come in lots of times on a weekend, done night shifts, to be part of the team and play a part. I don't like a them and an us. And I think the mateship with a lot of the guys is really important.

Paul Rodda  
Anne's just an awesome personality. She's so much fun to be around, she loves a joke, but also she's a very, very diligent and hard worker, she gets on with the job, she knows what needs to be done, and she's not afraid to put in the work.

Andy Kronawitter  
Deep down Anne treats everyone here like family. So you know, it's sort of probably not something I'd expect most people in her position to do.

Dave Andrews  
I think the way that Anne makes Rowlands a great place to work is her energy, her enthusiasm. Just seeing her running around, it gets people going, it gets people excited about what they're doing.

Anne le Clercq  
Rowlands is an awesome company to work for. The mateship is really great. I just think it's just got so much potential.

Beau Pieterman  
Hi Anne, I just wanted to say enjoy your retirement, very well deserved. And I hope you have a great time travelling.

Dave Andrews  
We're gonna miss you. You've been a massive part of my life here in Australia for one, and giving me the opportunity to come here.

Alex Quarrell  
Anne as you move into retirement, I'm gonna miss your friendly face around the workplace. You've been a great boss for the last seven years, and a pleasure to work with for the past 13 years. And not only have you been a good boss, you've been a great friend too.

Dale Rush  
I want to wish you all the very best with your retirement Anne. I know that the friendships that you've built over the years, they're gonna continue on for many more, you'll be dearly missed. And I'm sure you'll keep yourself very busy as you always do. So, all the very best and we're gonna miss you lots.

Anne le Clercq  
Thank you, Cameron, for the opportunity here in Rowlands. I've absolutely loved working with you, and also really value our friendship. So thank you.

Cameron Johnston  
Gosh, there's lots of ways in which Anne's contribution will linger on through the decade. I think on behalf of Rowlands and indeed myself, and the group more broadly, the concept of rest and relaxation is utterly deserved. And, you know, we look forward to hearing from her how that's going.

Anne le Clercq  
What I would like to say is, thank you. You've all played such a major part in my role here, and this isn't going to be, see you later, I'll never see you again. I will be keeping in contact. And like I said, who knows I may be back. But yeah, I will always hold you all dear to me.

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