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After three years in the role, Mark Lamarre has resigned as chief executive of ASC Shipbuilding.
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Lamarre is returning to Maine in the US for family reasons.
“This has been a wonderful, challenging and rewarding experience that I’ll value for the rest of my life,” Lamarre said.
“The decision to go back home and resume family life with my wife and daughters has always been coming.”
Lamarre told Defence Connect that while the decision was difficult, the time to step aside was right, following the recent awarding of the SEA 1180 Offshore Patrol Vessel contract, which will see ASC construct two of the 12 vessels in Osborne.
“It is sad for me to not be able to take up another year contract extension and stay with the company through the next phase,” he said.
“With the company being widely recognised for its performance and nation-leading capability, and winning the role in OPVs from next year, I believe it’s the right time to step aside.”
ASC chairman Bruce Carter praised Lamarre for his significant contribution to the Air Warfare Destroyer program and his role in helping secure future shipbuilding work.
“Mark has done an incredible job leading ASC Shipbuilding, creating a cohesive and successful team of shipbuilders, producing great results on the Air Warfare Destroyer program with our alliance partners and now successfully winning future shipbuilding work,” Carter said.
“It was Mark’s decision to step aside at this time for family reasons. He leaves on good terms and with the best wishes of the board, executive management and the entire workforce of more than 1,000 at ASC Shipbuilding.”
Since Lamarre took the helm of ASC Shipbuilding in December 2014, ASC has implemented a range of productivity reforms across the company, focusing effort and resources on warship production and fostering teamwork at all levels, while also supporting the federal government’s reform of the AWD Program.
Under Lamarre, the performance of ASC Shipbuilding has improved across its scope of work, with international analysts Booz Allen Hamilton confirming this year it was on target to meet international shipyard efficiency benchmarks for the construction of Aegis-like warships with the delivery of Ship 03 Sydney in 2019.
ASC Shipbuilding’s work on Sydney has been measured at 60 per cent more efficient than Ship 01 Hobart and 36 per cent more efficient than Ship 02 Brisbane.
ASC’s current general manager shipbuilding Jim Cuthill will be appointed acting-CEO from Friday, 15 December.
Cuthill is a shipbuilder with 22 years’ experience in naval and commercial shipbuilding in Australia and the UK.
He joined ASC Shipbuilding in 2009 and has worked closely with Lamarre as an integral part of the ASC Shipbuilding leadership team.
“It’s a real honour to be appointed to this position, to be able to lead Australia’s sovereign shipbuilder of major warships is very exciting,” Cuthill said.
“I look forward to further developing ASC Shipbuilding’s capability and workforce as we prepare to assist the government further in delivering sovereign continuous naval shipbuilding.”
