Sandra Duarte set to leave Centrum Print

High-profile Centrum Print CEO Sandra Duarte is set to move on from the business next month, and is looking to take up new opportunities in the new year, although not necessarily in print.

Duarte has been at Centrum for 13 years, and was general manager for much of that time, before taking the managing director’s title two years ago, although the role remained broadly the same. Centrum is owned by Percy and Linda Vij.

Duarte said, “It is time for a change for me. I have been here for a long time, I feel like I have taken the business as far as I can, and it is time for someone new to come in and take it to the next level.”

Duarte is one of the few women running print businesses, and is known for her commitment to young people, and her belief in having a positive outlook on life. She, and Centrum, have made school and college talks about the opportunities in print part of their mission

She said, “It is not goodbye, more like see you soon. It has been a great journey at Centrum, and I believe the best is yet to come. I am grateful to all the people that have encouraged and supported me over the years.”

During her time with the company Centrum successfully pivoted from a general commercial printer into a specialist trade packaging and display printer, with two giant Koenig & Bauer presses. It moved its factory from Mascot on the fringe of the city into Chipping Norton in the south-west suburbs of Sydney, and equipped it with an array of high tech automation.

Centrum is now looking for a new managing director.

Duarte finishes on 2 December, and will spend the time between then and early in the new year when she hopes to be in a new role working on launching her CEO Spark foundation for young people.