Angus Australia is welcoming a new CEO

Peter Parnell, a geneticist by formal training, and Scott Wright, a people's person, are poised like relay runners at the final interchange, ready to pass the baton from one to the other.

Mr Parnell, you see, is retiring from duties as chief executive officer of Angus Australia, a post he has cherished and enhanced over a dozen years in a second work iteration with the organisation.

He leaves in February and it's been a decision sometime in the making.

"I have had the honour of working with supportive, talented and passionate staff and directors who, generally speaking, have the industry at heart and advancing the Angus breed in particular," Dr Parnell said.

"My decision to retire was to focus on other aspects other than working every day with Angus Australia as much as I have enjoyed the role. As you would understand being the CEO of an organisation such as this is very rewarding but busy and challenging.

"I have been doing it for 12 years and got to the point where I felt I wanted to spend some time doing other things. We have our own commercial herd of Angus cows and calves at Yarrowyck, just west of Armidale, NSW.

"I am also a bee-keeper and we have grandchildren so I figured it was time to simplify my life and focus on other aspects for a few years."

Before putting his feet beneath the CEO's desk, Dr Parnell worked as breed development manager with Angus Australia (1996-2001) either side of stints with the NSW Department of Primary Industries.

He has had a front row seat as the Angus breed has progressed in quality and awareness courtesy of several intersecting episodes.

Dr Parnell promoted genetic advancement, confident improvement in conformation, muscularity, growth and carcase quality would enable the breed to evolve quicker and establish a competitive market edge.

As producers embraced ideas aimed at assisting their breeding decisions and improvements became evident, the folk at McDonald's moved from interested onlooker to partner and, in the blink of an eye, Angus was on everyone's tele and in plenty of bellies, too.

RELATED READING:

"McDonald's recognised that Angus was seen by the high end of the restaurant trade and processors as something better than the rest and they jumped aboard believing it would drive interest in their burgers and it was highly successful in that regard," he said.

"The brand became widely known and did bring about premium prices for Angus cattle.

"But I firmly believe the key to success has been the willingness of breeders to embrace changes in technology and the data we have has an incredibly persuasive power regardless of whether it's being used to market a bull or selling beef to a discerning market.

"The improvements in Angus cattle over the past three or four decades relative to any other breed are quite extraordinary."

When the office door closes gently behind Dr Parnell it will open to the right man, if you'll pardon the pun, according to the incumbent.

Mr Wright, once the members services officer before moving up a notch to be manager, was appointed after an exhaustive search, and has the backing of the man he will succeed and Angus Australia president Sam White.

"To see someone from within the organisation come through the ranks is just great and it will be a delight to hand over to Scott," Dr Parnell said, to which Mr White added: "Scott ticks all the boxes needed to continue the success of Angus Australia."

Mr Wright concedes the organisation will be different, but equally good, under his tenure.

"Peter came into the job from a scientific and technical background with a deep understanding of genetics and he's helped the business take great strides in that regard and hopefully I can build on that," Mr Wright said.

"But my background is more people-focused. If I have an emphasis going forward it will be around members and because COVID has prevented a lot of face-to-face interaction with the membership I plan on correcting that as soon as possible and taking a more hands-on approach.

"Peter and I are different but complementary."

Mr Wright's present role has afforded him a bird's eye view of the Parnell leadership and a deeper dive into various elements of the business.

"As members services manager I had oversight of registrations, performance recording, DNA testing, export certification and software support among other aspects," he said.

"It was a pretty good apprenticeship for this role and I believe in evolution rather than revolution."