appointments  GAMAA 
The six recipients of scholarships from the 2004 GAMAA Education Scholarship Programme have been revealed. Independent consultant Sean Budden; Troy Cavanagh of Imagebox Group; Paul Dennett of Wilcom; Lisa Hanrahan of Random House Publishing; Maria Nordstrom of Fuji Xerox; and Steven Strang of DMC Direct Print Solutions have been notified of their successful applications. David Rands, Graphic Arts Merchants Association of Australia (GAMAA) president says the six candidates will attend an induction session on February 19 in Melbourne.

This session, which will be preceded by a press conference, will outline for the students the programme over the next 12 months which includes the compulsory residential workshops and the coaching and mentoring aspects that make the GAMAA programme a standout in the industry.

Rands says that the 2004 recipients represented the diverse market segments that comprise the printing and graphics technologies industry.

"These students come from a broad range of businesses spanning traditional print producers through to digital solutions and book publishers demonstrating the complex matrix that is today’s industry," Rands says.

Scholarship recipient Lisa Hanrahan says, "The publishing and print industries are evolving with new technologies at a fast rate and it is a challenge to keep abreast of changes let alone be an innovator. I hope that being part of the scholarship programme, combined with further studies, will allow me to meet the challenges and develop positive solutions that will help Random House as well as impact and help the industry."

Another scholarship recipient, Paul Dennett, says, "The key competitive advantage of any organisation is skilled employees, not technology, not physical infrastructure or pricing. Without the right skills in your organisation and our graphics industry, poor decisions will be made and competitive advantages will be lost. From my experience technology is only as good as the people who implement it, and the real business benefits are only gained when skilled employees push the boundaries of the technology till it evolves into more productive systems."

"The GAMAA scholarship is providing the opportunity for us, the successful candidates, to improve not only our skills, but also the skills of the industry."

The GAMAA Education Scholarship Programme provides middle to senior managers currently working in the printing and graphic technologies industries with an opportunity to advance their leadership and business management skills.

A unique, and integral, element of the GAMAA programme is the residential workshops developed by GAMAA in conjunction with the Melbourne Business School, a division of the University of Melbourne (MBS).

These workshops are designed to expose participants to a range of management skills and processes that will challenge their working practices and provide them with the tools to develop strategies for the future. The workshops also enable the exchange of information and the development of research materials specific to the nuances of the industry.

"Our 2003 students have said the workshop component enhances their formal studies and enables them to think outside the square and develop practical ways of implementing what they have learned. Content for the workshops will continue to evolve in 2004 and will provide not only the scholarship students, but the broader industry, with a unique, interactive, educational resource," said Dr. Rands.

2003 scholarship recipient, Anthony Choi, Toyo Inks, has now completed his studies. He says, "The workshop component provided me with practical, tangible, take-back-to-work-and-apply tools in the key areas such as team building, negotiation, problem solving, values analysis - key activities I undertake everyday in my Management role."

"The workshop material complemented my MBA studies and reinforced learning through group activities, role plays and active discussion. The weekend workshop format provided us with the opportunity to brainstorm, discuss ideas and develop networks with other students who face the same challenges and are involved in different sectors of our industry."

The 2004 students will join the continuing 2003 scholarship recipients in attending the two compulsory residential workshops which will also be offered to the industry.

Limited Places Available at the GAMAA Leadership Workshops

GAMAA’s Leadership Workshops for 2004 are:

"Thinking Strategically" to be held at the Melbourne Business School from Friday 26th to Sunday 28th March, 2004 inclusive.

"Developing Leadership" to be held in Sydney from Friday 27th to Sunday 29th August, 2004 inclusive.

The cost of attending each live-in workshop is $2,950, all inclusive (with the exception of transport). There are a very limited number of positions available for each Workshop. For information, or to apply to attend a GAMAA Leadership Workshop, contact Pam Fairnington at GAMAA on or .

"On behalf of GAMAA I congratulate the successful 2004 scholarship recipients who were once again chosen from a high calibre of applicants and wish them well with their studies," says Rands.