Stuart Strickland

STUART Strickland, OAM, who has spent more than 40 years in the motorcycle, power products and marine power industry, is retiring for the second time in his career and will leave his most recent role as a motorcycle consultant with the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce (VACC) and the Motor Trades Association of Australia (MTAA) at the end of the month.

Mr Strickland, 70, first retired after 30 years with Honda in 2011, but set up a company advising on marketing and aftersales support in the motorcycle business.

That led to his appointment in 2015 as executive chairman of the Australian Motorcycle Dealers Association (AMDA), in charge of its strategic operations.

The AMDA, which is the national body representing the interests of motorcycle dealers, retailers and repairers, operates within the Motor Trades Association of Australia and various state MTAs and state chambers, including the VACC.

Mr Strickland began his career as a parts manager at the Victorian-based Milledge Brothers – which was a Yamaha distributor – where he rose to general manager.

In 1981, he took on the role of motorcycle sales manager at Honda Australia including motorcycles, power equipment and marine, before his appointment as state manager for Western Australia and subsequently for New South Wales.

The state manager positions covered Honda motor vehicles as well as motorcycles, power equipment and marine.

In 1991, Honda decided to separate the car side and Mr Strickland set up the new business arm of Honda MPE and was appointed its senior director.

He went on to become managing director of the MPE business and during the next 20 years revenue on the MPE side of Honda Australia grew from $50 million to $350 million.

He was instrumental in the Australian rollout of Honda’s international motorcycle rider safety training centres and regards securing a two-hectare prestige site – a former NSW police driver-rider training complex at St Ives and close to the Sydney CBD – as one of the highlights of his time at Honda.

Mr Strickland has a property in South Gippsland and some vintage motorcycles to restore.

By John Mellor