For the first time in the company’s 78-year history, Brown and Hurley will be led by its first non-family CEO, with Ryan O’Doherty set to take the reins from January 1, 2025.
This follows the retirement of current CEO Paul Hurley, who will however remain with the company as a board member commencing July 2025.
Brown and Hurley says the move marks a new chapter for the business.
The company is the Queensland and Northern NSW distributor of Kenworth and DAF trucks. It also sells a range of trailers and operates agricultural machinery dealerships in Queensland.
On stepping aside from the CEO role, Paul Hurley said he “thoroughly enjoyed spending all the time with our tremendous staff and customers who support our business and will though very much look forward to spending more time now with family and friends.”
Incoming CEO Ryan started his career in the industry over two decades ago as an apprentice diesel technician. Over the years, he’s worked in various sales and aftersales roles.
This included a 25-year tenure with a prominent family-owned Cat dealer, where he thrived in sales and operations management and acquired substantial experience in the rental sector.
For the past nine years, Ryan has been part of the senior executive team, recently serving as chief operating officer.
On taking on the new role with Brown and Hurley, Ryan said, “I am both honoured and excited to join Brown and Hurley as CEO, a company renowned for its legacy and strong values. I look forward to working closely with the team to continue driving the company’s growth and to build on the solid foundation laid over the past 78 years.
“Brown and Hurley’s commitment to its customers, employees, and community aligns perfectly with my own values, and I am eager to contribute to its next chapter, drawing on my background and experiences to build on the strong foundations laid by Paul Hurley. Together, we will continue to grow and support our customers, partners, and community, ensuring Brown and Hurley’s continued success well into the future.”
Current chairman of The Brown and Hurley Group Rob Brown added, “We are pleased to welcome Ryan as our new CEO. He has a proven ability to lead a company such as ours with his extensive experience in a similar market and with a similar family structure.
“When we recruited Ryan, we were looking for a person with values that we hold as a family company, and someone who will maintain the culture of our company, which is to look after our customers, staff, and suppliers to the best of our ability.”