Bruce Maclennan
Family business Pickles Auctions thrives on its enduring relationships. CEO Bruce Maclennan believes the company’s strength stems from its value of people.
Having been with Pickles Auctions for 19 years, Bruce Maclennan, CEO of the organisation, has taken on various roles and responsibilities throughout his tenure. He started with the company as a trainee auctioneer and valuer, working his way through various roles at the Sydney branch in Belmore. "The business grew rapidly: we went from three branches when I started to 17. In early 2001, I took on a newly created role to manage all the branches across the country."
"Since then, we have continued to grow and we've built a strong operational team in the business to manage this growth and maintain our service levels. Three years ago, I took on the management of the marketing team and then the IT team at the beginning of 2013. In February this year, I was appointed as the CEO."
The rapid growth of Pickles Auctions has been one of the greatest challenges the company has faced. "When I started with the company, there were 100 employees; today we have over 700. We now have 22 branches, and this year we are on track to turn over in excess of $2 billion. The diversity of what were covering and managing has really grown, not only in terms of volume but the expectations of our clients and buyers. We work with nearly all of the major national fleets, and finance and insurance companies across the country. I think the challenge for those of us who have been here for a long time has been learning to adapt to the rapid changes in our industry, our clients requirements, and the way that has changed our business internally it has stretched us all."