Recognising the diversity and interests of its growing membership, the Window Shading Association of Australia (WSAA) has appointed co-Presidents, bringing a balanced leadership representation of sector perspectives from both manufacturing and retail.
The change follows the conclusion of outgoing President Gilbert Da Silva’s term on the Board, after a tenure defined by improved governance, a rebrand to the WSAA, the hiring of the inaugural CEO, recent membership growth, and significant strategic progress.
“As my term as President comes to an end, I do so with pride in what we’ve accomplished together. Over recent years, we’ve continued to transform the WSAA into a dynamic and unified voice for the window shading industry that seeks to represent all who operate in our industry”.
“Together, the Association implemented a strategic plan in 2019 which set the path to updating our constitution and appointing our first CEO. A new strategic plan in 2024 led to changing our name, engaging more with our members through regional events, a continued focus on energy efficiency and to support recognised training to lift industry competencies. As I step away from the industry into retirement, thank you to all our members for the opportunity to serve you as President. It has been an honour and a privilege” said Gilbert Da Silva.
In a move that reflects the inclusive nature of our industry peak body, the new leadership model under Chris Parkinson of Ozroll and Jason Lewis of Lovelight symbolises a united industry and reinforces WSAA’s commitment to representing all voices from the industry.
Chris Parkinson said “I feel both honoured and excited to have been elected as co-President. Over the past 2-3 years serving as a director on the Board, I have witnessed significant and positive changes that I believe have contributed to a rise in both membership numbers and member engagement - particularly through our meetings and networking events. There is still so much more in the pipeline and I am genuinely pleased to continue playing a part in seeing these new initiatives come to fruition.”
“The move to a co-President role represents another important cultural shift for the Association and one that I believe will harness our individual strengths. Jason brings energy, a fresh perspective and a great deal of experience from the retail and commercial sectors, while I think I bring a more conservative approach from a manufacturing background. What our members can be assured of is that we are both deeply committed not only to the role but also the ongoing growth and success of our industry, added Chris Parkinson.
The WSAA Board believes this dual leadership approach will strengthen WSAA’s ability to respond to the needs of its members and better reflect the collaborative nature of the window shading industry.
Newly appointed Co-President Jason Lewis said “being able to represent our industry, an industry that my family has been associated with since 1959 is a massive honour. I am enthusiastic and confident about our strategic direction and look forward to meeting everyone over the coming year especially at Super Expo to discuss our energy efficiency programs and other strategic initiatives.”
“Building a stronger industry body with growth in membership through our large retail network will benefit the industry and its partners. Being a retailer for nearly 20 years, I look forward to serving our retail members as I understand their issues & pain points and I’ll help drive outcomes for their businesses’ added Jason Lewis.
Congratulations to Chris and Jason in this new era of leadership of the WSAA.
