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Three vacancies for positions on the Board were filled at Dairy Australia's Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Friday 30 November 2007.
Barry Kitchen retired by rotation while Max Roberts and Stephen O’Rourke were re-elected and a new candidate, Len Stephens, was elected.
Max Roberts was re-elected as Chairman. Incumbent Dairy Australia chairman Max Roberts has been dairy farming in the Bega Valley, in Southern New South Wales, since 1982. He is a director and deputy chairman of Bega Cheese and has held several other board positions including at the Australian Dairy Herd Improvement Scheme and the NSW Farmers Federation. Mr Roberts has been active in industry organisations as a former chairman of the NSW Farmers Dairy Section and former vice-president of ADF. Before becoming a dairy farmer, Max had a long career as an ABC journalist and broadcaster. Stephen O’Rourke has been working for the Murray Goulburn Co-operative since 1987. His background in commerce and accounting has seen him hold such positions as company secretary, financial controller and finance director. Since 1998, Stephen has been the chief executive officer and managing director. He was previously a director of the Australian Dairy Corporation and is currently serving on Dairy Australia’s board. Len Stephens is a scientist and manager with a diverse range of experience in agribusiness. After an early career in regional veterinary centres in Victoria, Dr Stephens became head of the Victorian Institute of Animal Science at Attwood. He moved into leadership roles at Meat Research Corporation and Meat & Livestock Australia where he managed all on-farm and live-export research and development. He has also served as the chief executive officer of Australian Wool Innovation and is presently managing director of The Seafood CRC. Nomination process
Interested people were able to apply to the Industry Committee for the vacancies, and Group A members were able to nominate someone who they felt would contribute positively to the Australian dairy industry. There were no Group A nominations for this year’s AGM. The industry committee, comprising representatives of Australian Dairy Farmers and the Australian Dairy Products Federation, received 85 applications. The committee comprises four representatives of Dairy Australia’s Group B members (Australian Dairy Farmers and the Australian Dairy Products Federation) and a representative, who chairs the committee, of Dairy Australia’s Board. The committee recommends candidates based on the skills they would bring to the Board, which needs an appropriate mix of skills to carry out the aims of Dairy Australia. Resolutions
Members also upheld resolutions to simplify the election process and increase the total amount available to be paid in directors’ fees. The board does not intend to increase directors’ fees in the short term given current industry conditions.
Click here to listen to the 2007 AGM
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