Strang leaves Nuance

Gavin Lipsith

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The man credited with turning around Nuance’s fortunes in Australia has left the company for a travel-retail role outside the country

The Nuance Group Australia and New Zealand CEO Christian Strang has resigned from the company with immediate effect to accept a senior travel-retail position outside Australia. Strang, who has been at Nuance since 1996 and became regional CEO in September 2005, is largely responsible for reversing Nuance’s fortunes in Australia, most notably in renegotiating several onerous contracts at airports across the country and orchestrating the successful bid to retain the group’s crucial business at Sydney International airport last year.

Strang said: “My years with the Nuance Group have been challenging and invigorating and I am grateful to the Nuance Group for the trust and confidence they have shown in me and the opportunities they have given me over the years. With the recent arrival of Newrest [which acquired 40% of Nuance’s regional operation earlier this year – Ed], the business is well placed to continue the transformation in line with the well-established strategy. The team is energized, the changes are happening and the rewards will follow.”

Nuance CEO Roberto Graziani said: “Christian has been at the forefront of the establishment of our business in Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia and New Zealand. He has been dedicated to the development and promotion of the industry as a whole and has been a trusted ambassador for Nuance. We are sorry that he has chosen to leave the company but remain confident that he will continue to make a valuable contribution to the industry in his new position and are confident that the team in the region is well-placed to drive the business forward.”

Newrest CEO Jonathan Stent-Torriani, who will take over Strang’s responsibilities until a permanent successor is appointed, said: “I have known Christian for many years and we have worked together closely and successfully in the past; I know that his decision to leave Nuance would have been difficult given the sweat that he has invested in the company for over ten years. I have always appreciated his persistent work ethic, team spirit and integrity and I wish him well in his new appointment.”

Nuance said it would announce a successor in the coming weeks.