Introduction of new Managing Director, Okuma Australia and New Zealand
On 23rd December, 2026, Dean McCarroll will transition from Managing Director, Okuma Australia and New Zealand to assume the new role of Non-Executive Chairman. As part of this planned leadership succession, Karl Corry will assume the role of Managing Director, Australia and New Zealand to lead the business into the next chapter of success.
With years of phenomenal growth and market leadership, Dean’s experience will continue with Okuma in a mentoring role and be a face of the company whilst guiding future growth and expanding the many facets of the company’s success.
Succession planning has long been an important part of the Okuma business strategy, ensuring continuity and stability while maintaining the high level of support customers and team members rely on. Through structured mentoring programs, leadership development initiatives and ongoing training, the company actively identifies, guides and develops the next generation of professionals and leaders, ensuring the business continues to operate smoothly throughout transition periods.
Given the significance of the position of Managing Director, the transition has been carefully planned and managed over several years. The considered approach has enabled a seamless handover ensuring continuity for the business, confidence for the customers and a strong foundation for future growth.
Okuma’s Board of Management will remain unchanged to reassure customers of the company’s stability and consistency.
(Left to right) Mark Frescher – Chief Financial Officer; Caralyn Pahos – Manager – Marketing & Communications; Karl Corry – Incoming Managing Director; Dean McCarroll – Incoming Chairman;, Steve Norbis – Northern Regional Manager – NSW & QLD
“There are many young people in the company whom we have identified as being capable of moving forward in the future and to accomplish this, key mentoring, ongoing training and leadership programs will form part of my role going forward,” commented Dean. “We will maintain our commitment to the Japanese parent company’s philosophy ‘Monozukuri’ – the art of making things better, as we stay ahead of the technology curve particularly as we witness the accelerating increase in 5-axis and multitasking machines with automation. This along with even stronger partnerships with our customers we see as critical;” he said.
In stepping aside, Dean commented on the privilege he had in leading the Australian and New Zealand companies over the last eight years which have experienced significant growth in overall company performance, measurably stronger employee engagement and the development of even stronger partnership relations with customers throughout.
The incoming Managing Director for Okuma Australia and New Zealand, Karl Corry, brings a wealth of experience to the role from his earliest days in CNC Machining in Ireland winning the National Skills competition in CNC Machining and competing in the World’s Skills Competition in Helsinki in 2005.
Karl initially joined Okuma in Sydney in 2011 as an Application Engineer, advancing to National Technology Manager within Okuma’s national headquarters and ultimately his appointment in 2023 as Sales, Applications and Technology Manager. Throughout his career he has had the opportunity of working across sales, applications, technology and customer support, providing him with a unique perspective of business from multiple angles.
“One of the greatest strengths of Okuma in Australia and New Zealand is the calibre of our people as we have a highly skilled team with decades of collective experience and it is that experience our customers rely on and trust,” said Karl Corry. “Coming into this new role my focus will naturally be sales development and to develop clear pathways for professional growth and ongoing training to keep abreast of technological development. This along with customer engagement as long-term technology and manufacturing partners, problem solving and business development with the knowledge that relationships extend well beyond the initial machine purchase. The ability to manufacture critical components locally strengthens Australia’s resilience, supports highly skilled employment and fosters innovation,” he said.
A further key area Karl sees as critical to the future of Australian and New Zealand manufacturing is the development of partnerships between industry and training organisations creating genuine pathways from training to employment.
“My role is no longer just advancing technology, it is about developing people, strengthening partnerships and the further development of the business that assists Australian and New Zealand manufacturers to remain globally competitive in an evolving world. I very much look forward to this exciting opportunity going forward,” commented Karl Corry.
“The development of even closer partnerships and supporting manufacturers across Australia and New Zealand is fundamental and I extend an invitation to both new and existing customers to reach out to myself or any member of our team, so that we can assist in supporting their goals and objectives using the latest technological advances,” said Karl.
These planned leadership changes reflect the strength of our succession planning and our confidence in the future direction of Okuma Australia and New Zealand. We look forward to building on our strong foundations and continuing our journey of growth, innovation and success together.