Vale Malcolm Chisholm

The heavy vehicle industry has lost another of its valuable contributors with the passing of Malcolm Chisholm on Thursday 23rd April, aged 78 years.

Malcolm served as Board Director (1978-81) and President (1981) of the Commercial Vehicle Industry Association of Queensland (CVIAQ)(as HVIA was formerly known).

In 2002 Malcolm was the inaugural recipient of the CVIAQ Industry Recognition Award for his dedication to apprenticeships and career development.

Malcolm was a great supporter of the CVIAQ Apprentice of the Year Awards, and the success of his apprentices winning the award regularly throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s was a testament to his mentoring.

It is said that the first CVIAQ Annual Dinner was instigated at Malcolm’s insistence, so that the Apprentice of the Year Awards could be given its own showcase event and that apprentices could be acknowledged by the whole industry.

His appointment as an advisor to Queensland TAFE further acknowledged Malcolm’s dedication and unwavering commitment, driving and enabling staff professional development.

In fact, Malcolm was so insistent that the industry had to raise the bar, it was not uncommon to see diesel apprentices being sent to public speaking courses.

Malcolm was a senior manager at International Harvester in the 1970s and 1980s before joining MTU Detroit Diesel (then known as Detroit Engine and Turbine Company) in 1985.

Malcolm retired as the MTU Detroit Diesel Regional Manager – Northern (Queensland and Northern Territory) in 2002.

Current Penske Power Systems Branch Manager, Jason Benedetti, remembers Malcolm having “an all pervasive Yes we Can attitude that drove success in customer experience, business and, for the Detroit staff, built a platform of career growth.”

Outside of the workplace Malcolm was renowned for pulling people together from far and wide for social golfing days, Fraser Island fishing trips and other legendary social events.

His dedication to the community extended to serving the Rocklea Rotary Club and the Wolston Park Golf Club over many years in numerous voluntary roles including President.

RIP Malcolm Alistair Chisholm 28/05/41 – 23/04/2020