
Penske Australia has announced two significant new appointments to its executive leadership team to start the year.
A surprise addition at Penske is former Volvo and Mack Australia vice president, Gary Bone who joins the Brisbane based truck distribution operation after two stints with Volvo and a period in charge of a major agricultural equipment maker, Alongside the Bone announcement it was revealed that Derek Smits has been appointed as general manager of Penske’s truck supply chain
Bone has joined Penske as the general manager of eastern operations, based in Brisbane, overseeing Penske’s retail branch operations at Wacol, Lytton, and Yatala in South East Queensland and also at its brand in Sydney.
Bone departed Volvo Group in early 2024 after some health issues, having been the vice president of the Volvo Truck operation for three years. He had moved to the Volvo role after being VP at sibling brand Mack trucks for around 12 months, starting back at Wacol in early 2020. In the time since he left VGA, Bone had roles with Diverseco and Hendrickson Asia Pacific
Bone’s return to the Volvo Group for his second stint with the Swedish giant in 2020 came after almost six years as managing director of farm machinery company, Chesterfield Australia.
Prior to that six year stint with the farm machinery maker, Bone’s first 16 years with Mack and Volvo started in 1997, where he worked in a number of roles, including two years with Mack in the USA, before assuming the position of senior vice president of Mack Trucks Australia between 2005 and 2008. He then moved across to be vice president of Volvo Trucks Australia from 2009 to 2013
Derek Smits has recently commenced at Penske as general manager of truck supply chain. He is also based in Brisbane leading the engineering, technical, and sales operations teams as well as the vehicle processing centre.
“Gary and Derek bring extensive experience and depth to our executive leadership team,” said managing director of Penske Australia and New Zealand, Hamish Christie-Johnston,
“A highly esteemed business leader with a strong track record of achievement, Gary will utilise his comprehensive industry experience in managing our on- and off-highway operations.
“Having amassed significant manufacturing and transport industry experience, Derek has a proven innovative approach to leadership that will hold him in good stead as he brings a fresh approach to this newly-created role.”