Mark Alderson hands CH baton to Lance Miller

 At the half-yearly Raleru-trading-as-Camera House meeting held in Macau this month, Mark Alderson formally stepped down from the role of chairman and has been replaced by Lance Miller, Coffs Harbour Camera House.

Mr Alderson will continue on as a director until October, 2015.

Camera House sources informed Photo Counter back in January that Mr Alderson had flagged his intention to resign – so the switch to Mr Miller is by way of an orderly succession, rather than an unplanned change. There was no other candidate.

Mr Alderson has also been a consultant to Camera House over the past two years. He sold his retail outlet, Foto Riesel, Sydney, in 2011 to John Wallace.

Mark Alderson has been on the board as either a director or chairman for 20 years in total. Lance Miller has been a director for the past 13 years.

In a departure from normal practice, at the last AGM in October, 2013, Karina Bascombe (Twin City Camera House, Adelaide) and Jon Paterson (The New Camera House, Lismore) stood against directors Mark Alderson and Keith Bentley (Bentleys Camera House) with Jon Patterson and Mark Alderson taking the two vacant directors’ positions.The board now comprises Lance Miller, Mark Alderson, Jon Paterson and Nigel Roper.

Camera House board roles are not pro bono, but attract fees (though not so handsome as to appeal to, say, an Arthur Sinodinos!). According to the 2013 annual report, directors’ fees rose from $136K to $166K from 2012 to 2013, with the chairman’s income in the band of $40 – 50K for the year. In addition to his chairman’s income, Mr Alderson earned consultancy fees from Raleru over the past two years.

At a recent strategy meeting of the company, a three-part strategic plan was implemented; one for immediate change, the second for changes over the next 18 months and the third to be relevant in 2019. Mr Miller will take on the implementation of the strategic plan, and the growth of the brand and distribution centre .

The October AGM this year will double as an industry meeting organised in partnership with PMA, open to all photographic specialty retailers supported by PMA.