Global bus and coach service operator Kinetic has announced the internal promotion of two Tasmanian locals to its state-wide leadership team.
As part of the promotions for Kinetic, former Hobart manager Andrew Grzinic has been appointed to oversee the company’s Tasmanian operations as general manager of Tasmania after acting in the role for the past three months.
Kinetic says Grzinic offers a wealth of local transport experience, having served as the general manager of Redline before the business joined Kinetic in 2021.
His prior experience in tourism is also set to help build Kinetic’s charter offerings across the state.
Grzinic has been joined by Grace Van Beest in the appointments, who has been promoted to manage Kinetic’s southern Tasmania operations.
Van Beest was part of the family-run O’Driscoll’s business that was acquired by Kinetic in 2023.
“Under Kinetic’s ownership, last year I had the opportunity to step up into operational and supervisory roles after 16 years, and now I’m excited to be leading our team across the region,” Van Beest says.
“It’s exciting and challenging – I feel like I’m starting afresh. I’m grateful for the opportunity and hope to encourage other women to think about a career in transport as a driver or in a support or management role.”
Kinetic, the operator of government-contracted bus services and the SkyBus airport express, says the internal promotions signal its long-term commitment to advancing Tasmania’s transport sector.
Kinetic executive general manager of Tasmania, Victoria and NSW, Graham Smith, congratulated the pair on their appointments, saying they both strongly reflect Kinetic’s values and commitment to enhance the livelihoods of communities.
Grzinic says he’s looking forward to building on the achievements of the Tasmanian team.
“I’m excited to lead the team as we work to deliver a safe, reliable bus service in partnership with the Tasmanian government,” Grzinic says.
Prior to the promotion, Grzinic played an important role in supporting the delivery of key programs, including the successful roll-out of the Kinetic brand in Tasmania as it replaced Redline and Merseylink.
The re-brand was supported by a $10 million capital investment program that included fleet and depot upgrades in Launceston and Hobart, as well as an overhaul of the Hobart transit centre.