Crane Industry Council of Australia Chief Executive Officer Brandon Hitch will relocate to the United States in May to take up a new role as Senior Director with Certification of Crane Operators (CCO).
The appointment follows the recent strategic partnership between CICA and CCO and will support the national rollout of Green Sticker by CraneSafe (GSCS) across the United States.
In his new role, Brandon will provide technical leadership, industry engagement and program oversight to support the consistent and high-quality implementation of the GSCS framework.
CICA Board Chair Marcus Ferrari said Brandon’s leadership had reshaped the Australian crane industry.
“Brandon has been instrumental in transforming how safety, training and professionalism are approached in the crane industry. His vision gave us initiatives like CrewSafe, StartSafe, the Articulated Mobile Crane Course, and the Lift Supervisor Program, all of which have lifted standards to a whole new level,” Marcus said.
“He has brought deep expertise in Australian and international Standards, but what truly set him apart was his humble leadership style and his ability to bring people together. His brilliance, integrity and commitment to doing things properly will be greatly missed in Australia,” he said.
Marcus said Brandon’s influence would continue to be felt well beyond Australia.
“Brandon didn’t just improve systems, he changed culture. He helped build an industry that values consistency, accountability and professionalism, and his legacy will continue to protect those working in our industry for years to come,” he said.
CICA said it fully supports the move and is proud to see Australian-developed systems and expertise recognised on the global stage.