Message from the Chair

MESSAGE FROM THE ASI CHAIR

THE AUSTRALIAN STEEL INSTITUTE (ASI) WOULD LIKE TO WELCOME TONY SCHREIBER (GENERAL MANAGER, ORRCON STEEL) AS THE NEW CHAIR OF OUR BOARD OF DIRECTORS.

BORN AND BRED IN NEWCASTLE, TONY HAS OVER 40 YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN THE STEEL INDUSTRY. HE HAS SPENT THE LAST 25 YEARS IN GENERAL MANAGEMENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE ROLES AT COMPANIES SUCH AS PALMER TUBE MILLS, AUSTRALIAN TUBE MILLS, AND BLUESCOPE. TONY HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF THE ASI BOARD SINCE 2017, AND WAS APPOINTED AS THE VICE CHAIR IN 2021.

TONY HAS LED ORRCON STEEL SINCE MID-2016. AS A PIPE AND TUBE MANUFACTURER AND A STEEL DISTRIBUTOR, ORRCON'S OPERATIONS SPAN THE DEPTH AND BREADTH OF THE ECONOMY, FROM SUPPLYING INTO MAJOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS, RIGHT THROUGH AGRICULTURE, LIVESTOCK, HOME RENOVATIONS, STEEL FABRICATION, AND TRANSPORTATION. THIS RANGE OF EXPERIENCE ENSURES THAT TONY HAS AN IN-DEPTH UNDERSTANDING OF THE UNIQUE CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES RIGHT THROUGHOUT THE AUSTRALIAN STEEL INDUSTRY.

Being a member of the ASI Board of Directors is not something that you can plan to do. Invariably, you are invited to contribute. Given this mindset, my approach to the position of Chair is that it is not a position of stature. Instead, it is a position in which I can serve the industry.

Alongside all the other ASI Directors, as the Chair, I will work to ensure that the Australian steel industry is as relevant as possible to the contemporary needs of society. We will continue to work to strengthen the future of the industry, and to ensure that all the people and companies operating within the industry have access to exciting opportunities. There has never been a more exciting time for the Australian steel industry. Just think about the role that steel plays in the betterment of society—society couldn’t be what it is today without steel. Steel helps us transport things. It helps educate us in university campuses and schools across the nation. It allows us to do our shopping. It houses people. It helps entertain us at sporting stadiums and concert halls.

If we look at Australia's recovery from the COVID-19 experience, there is an enormous amount of stimulus on the horizon for our economy, much of which steel will play a key role in. Construction and infrastructure activity is set for strong growth and performance over the next five to ten years.

Possibly the most exciting part for me is—if we overlay the world's ambition to reduce greenhouse gases and carbon emissions—and apply this ambition to all the intellectual challenges of how to make structures less burdensome on the environment, and how to make steel products more environmentally credentialled, you see an entire generation of innovation. There is an entire generation breaking the status quo and transforming processes, people and companies.

I'd like to close by acknowledging the legacy that Bernie Landy leaves behind

Tony Schreiber Chair, Australian Steel Institute

as the ASI's outgoing Chair. It doesn’t Tony Schreiber matter whether you were a colleague, Chair, Australian Steel Institute a customer, a supplier, or someone in the industry that just sought out counsel or guidance, there are so many of us in the industry that are better at what we do because of the influence of Bernie Landy. Bernie hasn’t just left a legacy. He is personally responsible for so much of what the Australian steel industry is today. It is a great honour to succeed him in this role. One of the things that Bernie did before retiring from the ASI Board, was to expand the breadth of experience of the Board. Bernie was passionate about the fact that the Board represent the entire Australian steel supply chain: architects, engineers, fabricators, manufacturers, distributors, processors, and educators. Today, we have 16 Directors on the ASI Board, who represent the breadth and depth of the industry and are able to advocate for all our members. I look forward to working with the Board, Mark Cain and his team, and the broader steel industry.