THE Australian Rural Leadership Foundation’s inaugural Australian agribusiness leadership program kicks-off in regional Victoria this weekend.
The new program is being used to enhance leadership skills and networks for 15 individual participants from different agribusiness groups who will converge on Gippsland this Sunday for a week of specialised activities.
The program was created by the ARLF in partnership with Elders Ltd; Consolidated Pastoral Company; GrainGrowers Ltd; Syngenta; Bega Cheese; Hassad Australia; PGG Wrightson Seeds Australia; NSW Department of Primary Industries; NT Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries and Westpac.
ARLF CEO Matt Linnegar said the new development program was all about driving leadership outcomes in the agribusiness sector by fine tuning individual qualities like influence, negotiation and communication skills.
The program will also explore shared leadership challenges and opportunities faced by Australia’s agribusiness sector, the ARFL says, and include a flexible module in May and a final session to be held in Sydney in June.
Mr Linnegar said the bespoke leadership development program was tailored to the needs of the Australian agribusiness sector.
“The ARLF is excited to bring together this program in partnership with the Australian agribusiness sector, for the greater good of the sector and its place in regional Australia,” he said.
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“This program is first and foremost about leadership development and contributing towards leadership capability across Australian agribusiness and regional Australia more broadly.
It is tailored to develop collaborative leadership and encourage cross-pollination of knowledge and experience to enhance the competitiveness of the agribusiness sector,” he said.
“It will provide the opportunity for participants to expand networks and thinking beyond their current role and organisation and in doing so, provide greater leadership to their organisation and industries.”
Australia and New Zealand Territory Head at Syngenta Paul Luxton said the program offered a unique opportunity for leaders in his business.
“We are investing in this program because it is a totally new approach and a missing piece in the ways we have traditionally developed our people,” he said.
“We have always invested in our leaders at Syngenta and in fact we have leadership development pathways on a global scale.
“This is an opportunity for our people to look beyond our business, to be more effective as leaders and to positively influence Syngenta and the broader sector.”
Program participants are expected to hear from internationally recognised agribusiness experts and join the ARLF’s network of almost 1000 alumni.
2016 Australian agribusiness leadership program participants
Maxine Austin - Senior Relationship Manager, Westpac Agribusiness
Shane Bodiam - Chief Operating Officer, Hassad Australia
Todd Brown Bendigo - Sales Manager, Elders
Bryce Buchanan - Area Sales Manager, Syngenta
Drew Christian - Regional Services Manager, Grain Growers’ Limited
Leonie Cooper - Chief Plant Health Manager & Chemical Coordinator, NT DPI
Ken Garner - Manager Milk Supply and Farm Services, Bega Cheese
Andrew Gibson - Zone Farm Supplies Manager, Elders
Michael Hall - Head of Marketing & Communications, Elders
Peter Johnson - National Sales Manager, AusWest Stephen Seeds
Guy McMullen - Director Northern Cropping, NSW DPI
Karen Roberts - Deputy State Emergency Coordinator, NSW DPI
Tim Salter - Corporate Account Manager, Elders
Jock Warriner - General Manager NT/WA, Consolidated Pastoral Company
Malcolm Wood - Northern Broadacre Sales Manager, Syngenta
