Board Election
After undertaking a nomination process, the Food and Agribusiness Network (FAN) has received four (4) nominations for the three (3) available Member Elected Director positions. The names of the Nominees are listed below, along with their bio’s and responses to three questions about how they can contribute to the future sustainability of FAN and the growth of our members and the broader industry.
FAN has adopted an electronic voting system for the election of Elected Directors. Accordingly, members eligible to vote will receive an email, sent to their nominated email address, entitled “Voting for Elected Directors FAN Board 2021”.
Please note, only current industry members are eligible to vote; affiliate members are not eligible to vote. Only one vote per industry member will be accepted. All votes must be cast and received by 5pm, Tuesday 23rd November 2021.
If you have any questions relating to the voting process please email [email protected] or call 0433 603 575.
Nominees
Megan Brabant
I’m a passionate FMCG marketer with over 18 years sales and marketing experience in both the B2C and B2C environments. I am currently the marketing director at McCormick Foods Australia, leading consumer portfolio of well known brands including Gourmet Garden, Aeroplane Jelly and McCormick within Australia and New Zealand.
Having worked on local Sunshine Coast brand & business, Gourmet Garden, for over 10 years I am passionate about agribusiness, innovation, collaboration and building consumer awareness of Australian grown & manufactured food.
I have had the privilege of partnering closely with FAN since it’s inception; working closely with the founding members, being involved in the Strategic Advisory committee, being one of the key sponsors and more recently, I joined the FAN board as a temporary director in August 2021.
I hold a Bachelor of Business Management & Marketing from QUT.
Why are you interested in a Director position on FAN’s Board?
I am interested in a director position on FAN’s board for several reasons:
I am truly passionate about FAN’s vision to grow a food & agribusiness industry, not only for our region but hopefully through the cluster model expansion into other regions of Australia also. Food and agriculture are such a central part to Australia’s economy and we need to protect it for future generations.
I am a collaborator at heart….more heads are better than one! FAN’s premise of connecting and collaborating is central to my values and I have experienced the value for collaborating (both sharing and being shared to) with FAN members over the years.
FAN gives me perspective. In my role on the executive leadership team at McCormick I don’t get to experience the connection to local and the diverse industries that FAN provides. Continuing my connection with local industry, government and education grounds me and provides me the opportunity to give back to and learn from my local community.
I’ve been part of FAN from the beginning in both a sponsor capacity and more recently as a temporary director on the board. It’s been a pleasure to see FAN grow, not only the organisation itself but also see members of FAN grow, as a result of the fantastic network that it is.
What skills and experience would you bring to the Board that would benefit FAN’s members?
Marketing & Innovation: I have over 18 years experience in food marketing, both in the B2B and B2C space. I am obsessed with understanding consumers/customers behaviours and providing solutions to them through communication and innovation. I will be able to use my knowledge to not only support FAN members in better understanding and innovating with their consumers and customers, but in board capacity support Emma, Nicole and the team to build the awareness and brand equity of FAN.
Strategy: In my role on the executive leadership team at McCormick Australia, I play a central role in setting the strategy to be Australia’s leading flavour company. This encompasses setting growth, performance and people/culture strategies against commercial, financial, supply chain, manufacturing, quality and customer outcomes. I feel that this general management lens from industry will allow me to represent members’ perspectives, particularly processors & manufacturers, on the FAN board. I have also booked to complete my Australian Institute of Board Director’s course in 2022 and feel this will provide value to support the direction and governance of the FAN board.
What do you see are the key challenges and opportunities facing our food and agribusiness industry?
The Australian food and agribusiness industry are poised to take advantage of growing consumer trends including sustainability, provenance (locally grown) and health and wellbeing.
COVID-19 has particularly escalated the importance of locally source, grown and manufactured in the hearts and minds of consumers and with global commodities & shipping putting cost and supply chain pressures on imported products, this provides an amazing opportunity for local growers and manufacturers. Being able to lean into locally grown is an amazing opportunity for local growers, producers and retailers providing rich stories to consumers on how and where their products come from.
A challenge for Australia is to keep up with the pace of food innovation. While we have access to amazing produce and industries; the supermarket retail environment that consists of 2 major players and the Australian population doesn’t adequately provide the volumes & investment required to support disruptive innovation in food. It highlights the need to support Australian businesses to innovation and scale both locally and into export markets. I love that FAN’s initiatives in their export & domestic market programs as well as the manufacturing hub project aim to address the need to support local businesses to scale and innovate.
Brent Deller
Founder and Director, First Batch Coffee Roasters & The Coffee Training Co. Coffee training and education is my true passion.
Helping to improve the quality and consistency of coffee being made across our industry is my goal. It is the reason why The Coffee Training Co. and First Batch Coffee Roasters were born.
Both businesses allow me and my team to not only educate cafes and restaurants we supply but drive quality across the entire industry from the vocational education training (VET) programs delivered in high schools across the state, job seekers to “mum & dad” baristas at home. Not only do I get to do what I love everyday, I get to do it in paradise. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Why are you interested in a Director position on FAN’s Board?
I am interested in becoming a Director on FAN’s Board because I am a true advocate of what FAN stands for and believe strongly in a collaborative and learning approach to achieve success in business.
I have been an active FAN member since 2019 and understand the potential value that FAN offers it’s members. I would like to help promote, develop and refine FAN’s initiatives to ensure they are not only relevant to members but also financially sustainable for all stakeholders.
Finally, I believe the addition of a Director to the FAN Board from the Noosa region adds strength and depth to an already strong board.
What skills and experience would you bring to the Board that would benefit FAN’s members?
I believe my commercial acumen, professional and business experience would add great value to the Board and would greatly benefit FAN’s members.
I am an active small business owner who is well known amongst current FAN members and understand the “day to day” challenges that member’s face. This will allow me to strongly represent members at Board level.
I also understand there is a financial and operational balance needed for FAN to achieve it’s strategic goals.
What do you see are the key challenges and opportunities facing our food and agribusiness industry?
I believe the key challenges to the food and agribusiness below could become great opportunity if navigated correctly (for members, with FANs support).
These challenges include: Supply Chain Disruptions (COVID Impacts, International Trade agreements) Population Growth (Supply vs Demand) Global Commodity Markets Climate Change & Awareness Sustainable & Transparent Practices Population growth & migration trends
Roger Desailly
Roger is the Australian Meat Industry Council (AMIC) State Manager for Queensland and has over 20 years’ experience in non-profit membership organisational management, event and project management, agribusiness / food sector marketing, business development and rural and regional consultancy across the beef industry and other agricultural sectors.
Roger works with AMIC members, partners and industry stakeholders across Queensland in the advocacy for and promotion of an innovative and sustainable food industry.
Why are you interested in a Director position on FAN’s Board?
I have a deep and long standing personal and professional interest in developing a strong, sustainable, innovation focused and technology enabled local food and agribusiness sector in SEQ – and desire to leave a real legacy for the region leading up to the 2032 Olympic Games.
I believe my skill sets, experience, knowledge, qualifications and industry networks will provide me with a unique opportunity to do this, within the FAN network.
What skills and experience would you bring to the Board that would benefit FAN’s members?
30 years experience at a senior level across a range of agribusiness, project, event, training, membership, sponsorship and marketing industry roles including current role as State Manager for AMIC Qld, CEO of Beef Australia and Beef Week International Trade Expo and GM Training for the Qld Agricultural Training College Network.
Qualifications in management, education and agribusiness.
A vision for the development of the Q-FEAST 2032 Alliance – the Queensland Food Entrepreneurs and Agriculture Start ups Target 2032 Alliance – with the FAN as the driver of this new initiative leading into the Qld 2032 Olympic Games.
What do you see are the key challenges and opportunities facing our food and agribusiness industry?
Labour / recruitment – issue Skills development (re skilling / up skilling) – issue Technology Uptake in food sector – issue Post covid lifestyle rethink – opportunity 2032 Olympics – big opportunity / golden!! Recent net zero by 2050 government policy settings – opportunity
Jacqui Price
Jacqui has extensive experience in marketing, brand strategy, and new product commercialisation in the food, agribusiness and beverage industries.
She is passionate about the region’s food and agribusiness industry and has been a Director on the FAN Board since 2017. Jacqui has held the role of Chair since November 2020, leading FAN through the dynamic roll out of the new operating model.
Jacqui is the Marketing Manager for the Australian Macadamia industry, promoting Australian grown macadamias globally. Macadamias are grown from Nambucca in the south to Bundaberg in the north, with the Glasshouse/Gympie region accounting for 14% of the national crop. Over 75% of Australian grown macadamias are exported around the world.
Jacqui has worked with a diverse range of large, well-respected brands and companies covering retail, foodservice, manufacturing, and business to business including Buderim Ginger, Leggos, Birds Eye, Amcor and Nestle. Jacqui holds a Masters of Business (Marketing) from QUT.
Prior to her current role in macadamias, Jacqui was a marketing consultant supporting local food businesses and worked with the iconic local tourist attraction, The Ginger Factory, on marketing initiatives to help grow their domestic and international visitation.
In 2019/20, Jacqui held the positions of Program Manager for the GrowCoastal Food Accelerator and Program Facilitator for Sunshine Coast Startup Onramp.
Why are you interested in a Director position on FAN’s Board?
I have been involved in FAN from the early years, starting on the strategy committee, moving onto the Board and more recently into the role as Chair. The vision created by FAN’s founders to have a strong and growing food and agricultural industry in our region is as compelling to me today as it was back then. The opportunity to give back to our FAN community and see our members grow has been so rewarding and I would love to continue to be a part of the ecosystem we have created together.
I am energised by the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead of us. I am dedicated to moving FAN forward as it seeks to deliver a more customised approach to the unique requirements of our sub-clusters, both regionally and issues-based.
FAN is also a driving force in a project for a potential local food manufacturing precinct and I am keen to help deliver this project due to the significant benefits this will bring to our members. With a strong Board in place and an extremely capable CEO, we have an exciting future ahead.
What skills and experience would you bring to the Board that would benefit FAN’s members?
Member Insights: Having worked across the spectrum of food businesses in our region from the iconic Buderim Ginger through to the small start-ups in the GrowCoastal program, I bring a unique level of knowledge and understanding of a broad cross-section of members to the Board. These experiences and the strong relationships I have formed enable me to bring a perspective that is representative of our members into the decision making and strategic discussions held at Board level.
Key Skills: Marketing: Brand strategy, Advertising development and integrated communications management, Consumer research and insights Innovation: New product development and commercialisation, Startup process Business: Strategic decision making, Project management, Financial management, Analysis and Problem Solving, People management and Coaching, Presentation skills, Workshop facilitation, Program management, Pitching.
Industry Experience: Over 20 years in the food and agribusiness industry, dealing in both the domestic and key export markets.
Innovation: Program Manager of the GrowCoastal Food & Beverage Accelerator, a program that develops skills that enable entrepreneurs to progress rapidly from start-up to scale-up phases, become investment ready and achieve key milestones in their growth strategies. Over the three years, the program assisted over 54 cofounders (about 70% female founders), who went on to employ an extra 52 FTEs, invested over $4.6 million and continue to drive innovation in the region.
Trained Facilitator for Startup Onramp, a training program that equips first-time founders with the essential skills to launch and grow their startup.
What do you see are the key challenges and opportunities facing our food and agribusiness industry?
I believe the top three challenges for our industry are:
- Supply Chain efficiency, particularly in regional areas like ours.
- Workforce, including availability, management, and succession planning for family-owned businesses.
- Food security and Sustainability: Sustainability once referred to the energy and water consumption of a factory. Today it touches every aspect of our industry, from soil health to packaging to safe working conditions, and it requires a coordinated effort across industry to make a difference.
Food Security and Sustainability is also one of key opportunities for the Australian food industry, and in particular our region. Australia has a reputation for delivering clean, green production from seedling to serving and our region has the opportunity to share the story of our growers, who are passionate about the latest sustainable methods to deliver the taste, texture, and goodness that Australian products are famous for. The opportunity definitely exists to improve processes and products to be more environmentally and socially responsible.
Other significant opportunities for our industry are being driven by the latest consumer trends and include premium products for health and wellbeing, products delivering new levels of convenience, and agri-tourism.