Speakers

Sandon Adams

Oritain Global Limited

Sandon leads the Australian business for Oritain Global Limited.

Oritain are global leaders in scientifically proving the origin of food to both protect and enhance reputations. With no reliance on packaging, labels, bar codes or additives, Oritain tests what naturally occurs inside products to determine where they were grown or manufactured, helping businesses support their provenance claims and identify counterfeit goods.

As a member of a fourth generation farming family, Sandon has a background in agriculture and is passionate about adding value in Australian food and agri supply chains. His experience spans broadacre cropping, horticulture, aquaculture and FMCG, where he has worked in senior roles for the world’s largest food & beverage company (Nestlé).

Noel Ainsworth

QDAF

Noel’s career has involved a number of management, extension, research, and consulting roles in commercial and government entities. These have been across the disciplines of natural resource management, environment and agriculture. Through this he has built extensive experience and networks in a range of rural industries ranging from tree crops, to vegetables, wine and hydroponics. To back this experience, Noel has formal training in the social sciences, management and plant physiology.

John Alderson

CHEP Australia

John holds a Bachelor of Marketing from Griffith University and an Executive MBA in Business Administration and Management from Monash University. He has been with CHEP for over 7 years in various Customer Services, Account Management and Sales roles within Australia and the United Kingdom. He is currently the Director, Customer Supply Chain Solutions, CHEP Australia. John’s expertise is operations management, key account management, customer solutions and supply chain sustainability. In his spare time, John enjoys spending time with a young family and when possible getting in a game of golf.

In this speaker session John will explore what impact China’s ban of certain scrap materials means for supply chains using one-way packaging. He will also discuss how investing in circular business strategies can assist reduce recycling costs and help achieve more sustainable supply chains.

Mary Ann Augustin

Chief Research Scientist/CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Australia

Dr Mary Ann Augustin is currently Chief Research Scientist at CSIRO Agriculture and Food, Australia. She has more than 35 years’ experience in research and development in food science and technology. Prior to joining CSIRO in 1988, she held University appointments in the UK and Malaysia. She was also a Professorial Fellow at Monash University (Oct 2005-June 2007). She is a chemist by training and has had a long association with the food industry. Throughout her career, Mary Ann has worked and promoted research within multidisciplinary teams. The research that she has conducted or led has been in the areas of dairy science and technology, milk powders, structure and function of milk proteins, interactions of food macromolecules, novel food grade antioxidants (Maillard reaction products), microencapsulation for the delivery of food bioactives and probiotics, and ultrasound-assisted delignification of biomass & separation of oils. More recently she has led research in the area of reducing food loss and waste, with a focus on the conversion of horticultural produce into value added ingredients and food products. Her work within teams have involved all stages of the research process from concept to commercialisation and has led to the creation of commercially successful food ingredients, processes and products. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

Inge Bisconer

Toro

Inge Bisconer is the Technical Marketing and Sales Manager for Toro’s Micro-Irrigation headquarters for the Americas in El Cajon, CA.  She has worked in production agriculture and held various technical, sales, marketing and management positions in the irrigation and water treatment industries for over 35 years. Her passion is helping farmers improve profitability and sustainability through improved water and resource use efficiency (WUE and RUE), and advocating for efficient irrigation at both the state and national level.

She authored Toro’s Micro-Irrigation Owner’s Manual, manages Toro’s popular AquaFlow drip irrigation design software and Drip Irrigation Recycling Service, and co-hosts Toro’s “The Water Zone” radio program. She is a Director and Past-President of the California Irrigation Institute, is IA certified and is the recipient of the Irrigation Association’s 2016 Industry Achievement Award. She holds a BS in agriculture from UC Davis and an MBA in technology management from the University of Phoenix.

Dr Jimmy Botella

University of Queensland

Dr. Jimmy Botella is a Professor of Plant Biotechnology at the University of Queensland. He obtained a degree in Quantum Chemistry from the University of Madrid (Spain) and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Malaga (Spain).  After a postdoctoral stage in the USA, he joined the University of Queensland in 1995 where he founded the Plant Genetic Engineering Laboratory (PGEL) specialising in the fields of tropical and subtropical agricultural biotechnology. Dr Botella has several international patents in the field of Plant Biotechnology, is a founding member of two biotechnology companies and a member of the Expert Scientific Panel for the Agricultural Biotechnology Council of Australia. He was awarded the Chinese Academy of Sciences Visiting Professorship for Senior International Scientists in 2014-15. His research interests include plant defence signalling, point-of-care diagnostics and biotechnological approaches to crop improvement.

Adam Briggs

Data Analyst/Hort Innovation

Adam is the Data Analyst at Hort Innovation and has a background in Agricultural Economics. He maintains a current knowledge of available industry data across all horticulture industries through management of projects in areas such as benchmarking, crop forecasting and production, in addition to overseeing the delivery of the Horticulture Statistics Handbook. Adam has a strong understanding of the dynamics of agricultural and horticultural markets and is passionate about helping horticultural industries unlock data through analysis to make more informed decisions. Adam manages the vegetable market price reporting pilot program and is committed to ensuring that the project delivers value through the pilot stage and into the future.

Cathy Burns

PMA

Cathy Burns joined PMA in December 2013 as President and assumed the CEO position in January 2017. Prior to joining PMA, she spent 30 years in the supermarket industry. Cathy’s retail industry experience spans a host of senior-level positions at Hannaford Brothers and Food Lion, including president of the Food Lion banner responsible for overall operations of its 1,200 retail stores.

Cathy holds a bachelor’s degree in management and marketing from the University of Maine and completed coursework in strategic retail management at the College of William and Mary. She served as chair of the Produce Traceability Initiative’s Leadership Council and the Coca-Cola Research Council. Cathy currently serves on the Board of Governors of Children’s Miracle Hospital Network and is a past board member of the Network of Executive Women as well as a past board member of the Board of Duke Children’s Hospital.

Deirdre Conroy

Big Picture Group

Deirdre began her career at the National University of Ireland as a researcher of Health Psychology. Currently working as a Qualitative Research Strategist for Big Picture, Deirdre specialises in new product design, brand development and business performance evaluation and innovation research. Her passion for health, clean eating and consumer behavioural insights has established Deirdre as a key Qualitative Strategist across all projects in the Fresh Produce category at Big Picture.

Pip Courtney

Landline

Pip Courtney has worked for the ABC for 31 years as a radio and Television news and current affairs reporter in Tasmania ACT VIC and now Qld.
She joined Landline as a reporter 23 years ago, and has been host since 2012.
She has won international and national awards for her work and is committed to telling rural Australia’s stories.

Julian Cribb

Author and Science Communicator

Julian Cribb is an Australian author and science communicator. He is principal of Julian Cribb & Associates who provide specialist consultancy in the communication of science, agriculture, food, mining, energy and the environment. He is a Fellow of the British Royal Society for the Arts, the Australian Academy of Technological Science and Engineering (ATSE) and the Australian National University Emeritus Faculty.

His career includes appointments as newspaper editor, scientific editor for The Australian newspaper, director of national awareness for CSIRO, member of numerous scientific boards and advisory panels, and president of national professional bodies for agricultural journalism and science communication.

His published work includes over 8000 articles, 3000 science media releases and eight books. He has received 32 awards for journalism. His internationally-acclaimed book, The Coming Famine (2010) explored the question of how we can feed 10 billion humans this century. His book, Poisoned Planet (2014) examines the contamination of the Earth system and humanity by anthropogenic chemicals and how to prevent it. His book Surviving the 21st Century (Springer 2017) tackles the huge existential crisis now facing humanity – and what we can do about it.

Jennifer Crook

Fair Work Ombudsman

Jennifer Crook is an Assistant Director in the Compliance & Enforcement Branch of the Fair Work Ombudsman.
Jenny has a leadership role in the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Regional Services Team. As part of the Operations Group, the Regional Services Team has a clear focus on supporting compliant, productive and inclusive workplaces in regional Australia.
Jenny has a Diploma of Project Management and a Certificate IV in Government (Investigations).
Jenny has worked in Commonwealth regulatory agencies for 18 years. Prior to working for the Australian Public Service, Jenny worked in the finance and property sectors. Over the last four years, Jenny has been significantly involved in the Fair Work Ombudsman’s Harvest Trail Inquiry.
Jenny has a significant interest in workplace relations in the horticulture sector, and more broadly workplace relations issues in regional areas.

Matthew Crouch

Group Marketing Manager /Freshmax Group

Matthew has been working in marketing for over a decade, constantly challenging the norm. Educated at Manchester Business School, Matthew emigrated to Australia in 2012 and has been working within the A-NZ Produce industry since 2014. Today, as the Group Marketing Manager for the Freshmax Group, Matthew heads up all brand marketing activities across all group subsidiaries and markets. He describes himself as an innovative but strategic marketer for whom good data and consistent communication are key. Matthew was the winner of the 2016 Marketer of the Year Award and a 2017 recipient of the Mark Blue Scholarship.

Brian Cutting

Plant & Food Research

Brian Cutting is an entomologist with Plant & Food Research, based in Brisbane.  Brian’s primary research interests involve developing new tools and approaches to managing pollination in production ecosystems.  This work has involved research in a variety of cropping systems including avocado, blueberry, melons, kiwifruit and seed crops.  Brian has developed a keen interest in photography and when not in the field or lab, he can usually be found chasing insects with a camera.

Liza Dale-Hallett

Museums Victoria

Liza Dale-Hallett is Senior Curator, Sustainable Futures, at Museums Victoria. She specialises in the history of rural Victoria, with a particular interest in contemporary issues of sustainability, in particular, the significant contribution of women in agriculture and rural communities. Much of her work has been focused on bridging the gaps between city and country, consumers and producers.

Liza is the lead curator in the national Invisible Farmer project – the largest ever study of Australian women on the land. This project is a creative partnership between rural communities, academics, government and cultural organisations. It aims to create new histories of rural Australia, and showcase the diverse, innovative and vital contribution of women to agriculture & rural Australia.

Chanel Day

Associate Director, Analytics, Fresh Industry Lead/Nielsen

Chanel is Nielsen’s resident fresh expert and manages Harvest to Home, a new data tool funded by Hort Innovation to help vegetable growers better connect with consumers. Chanel leads Nielsen’s fresh industry pillar, working with clients across produce, meat, seafood, deli and bakery, helping them to take advantage of trends happening within the fresh food space. Fresh foods are gaining increased importance in the retail landscape as consumers increasingly move towards a healthier diet. Harvest to Home provides deep and valuable insights to help vegetables growers put the shopper at the centre of focus and secure their fair share of the health and wellness basket.

Dr Lisa Evans

Plant and Food Research

Dr Lisa Evans is an early-career biologist with a special interest in behaviour and ecology of social hymenoptera. Her work with Plant and Food Research’s Pollination & Apiculture team involves quantifying the pollination contributions of flower visiting insects in a wide range of agricultural systems as well as improving and diversifying pollination practices. She is research leader for a 3 year Sustainable Farming Fund programme which aims to optimise pollination of kiwifruit under covers without impacting honey bee hive health. She is currently based in Brisbane in support of Hort Innovation funded research quantifying honey bee dependence of several Australian crops.

Damian George

Chairman and Co-Founder/HiveXchange

Damian George is a well-known figure in Australian horticulture, having worked in the fresh produce industry since he was 15.

Outside of his role as Managing Director of one of Australia’s leading fresh produce wholesalers, over the course of his career Damian has operated as a producer, market agent, retailer and food service provider – giving him unique insight and understanding of the supply chain from farm to fork.
Damian applies this whole of supply chain experience and his passion for the industry to his role as Chairman and Co-Founder of the HiveXchange, Australia’s first digital marketplace for wholesale fresh produce. The HiveXchange offers buyers and sellers a transparent, efficient and agile marketplace experience – making it easy, safe and profitable to trade in domestic and export markets.

Emma Germano

Managing Director/I Love Farms

Emma Germano, from Mirboo North, Victoria, is the Managing Director of I Love Farms, a family run, mixed farming operation supplying domestic and international vegetable markets.
Driven to find solutions to the global challenge of food security, Emma was awarded a Nuffield Farming Scholarship in 2014 – supported by HIA – which allowed her to undertake research into global export opportunities for Australian primary producers.

Emma is an active advocate for Australian agriculture, holding multiple roles within industry, including the Presidency of the Victorian Farmers Federation Horticulture Group and a member of Horticulture Innovation Australia’s Vegetable Market and Value Chain Development panel.

Ultimately, Emma strives to be a strong voice, representing Australian growers and ensuring a vibrant and sustainable future for agriculture in Australia.

Dr Phillip Groves

John Owens Pty Ltd

Philip Groves commenced his safety-related career as a workers compensation case manager, before roles as a safety specialist and safety manager for two large Australian organisations. Philip completed his LLB in 2010, becoming a practicing solicitor and working in the field of commercial litigation, before returning to the safety industry as the General Manager of John Owens Pty Ltd. Philip completed his PhD in 2016, focusing on the sociology of law and workplace psychological injury.

Denise Hamblin

Colmar Brunton

Dr Denise Hamblin – National Sector Head FMCG, Colmar Brunton
A passion for insights, stalking supermarket aisles, and all things food and wine saw Denise move from academia to a commercial research business. Having joined Colmar Brunton in 2008, Denise is currently the National Sector Head for the FMCG side of the business and involved in a large variety of consumer projects both locally and globally. Research for Agribusiness and maximising the health of Australian’s are two key interests for Denise, both playing out in the work she does for Hort Innovation. Research into the potential of Native and Asian Vegetables and into effective ways to encourage increased vegetable consumption amongst children being two recent examples.

Ros Harvey

The Yield

Ros Harvey is an experienced entrepreneur and executive in the field of technology – particularly the Internet of Things (IoT) and user-centric design. Ros is committed to creating public good through the innovative use of technology, which is reflected throughout her career.

Since founding The Yield in 2014, Ros leads an experienced team which brings together leading engineers, data scientists, agriculturists and technologists. Each of these skills work together to ensure The Yield solutions offer real outcomes for growers and industry. The company’s main offering is Sensing+, an end-to-end sensor, predictive analytics and apps system that helps growers make faster, more informed decisions.

Ros founded the globally-recognised Better Work program, a landmark joint program of the World Bank and the United Nations, and co-founded the Food Agility Consortium and the Knowledge Economy Institute with Dr Michael Briers. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the QUT Institute for Future Environments in Intellisensing.

Dr Paul Horne

Entomologist

Dr Paul Horne is an entomologist and he has been involved with the development and implementation of IPM in a wide range of crops. His work has taken him to different places including Antarctica, Yemen, Thailand, USA, Spain, Denmark, Indonesia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

Paul has written several books on insects and IPM (the two most important co-authored with Jessica Page) and published over 70 scientific and conference papers on insects and IPM, as well as many other articles in industry literature. In 2009 Paul received the “Researcher of the Year” award from the Australian Vegetable industry.

Dr Joanna Howe

University of Adelaide and Harmers Workplace Lawyers

Dr Joanna Howe is Associate Professor of Law at the University of Adelaide and a consultant with Harmers Workplace Lawyers. She holds a Doctorate of Philosophy in Law from the University of Oxford where she studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Joanna is a leading Australian expert on the legal regulation of temporary labour migration. Joanna is the author and co-editor of three books and her work is internationally recognised. Her edited collection Temporary Labour Migration in the Global Era is the seminal international work on the regulation of transnational migration flows between countries on a temporary basis, and her monograph Rethinking Job Security provides a three country study of unfair dismissal law. She is the project leader on a national horticulture research project investigating labour supply challenges and worker exploitation on farms. She is also a chief-investigator on an ARC Discovery grant investigating unpaid work experience. Joanna has also led significant research projects for the Fair Work Ombudsman and the Government of Korea. Joanna is regularly invited to present evidence to Australian parliamentary inquiries and reviews into Australia’s temporary labour migration program and is a prominent commentator invited by many media outlets, including 7.30, Four Corners, Radio National, The Conversation and The Australian.

Dr Lee Kalcsits

Washington State University

Lee is an assistant professor of tree fruit physiology in the Department of Horticulture at the Washington State University Tree Fruit Research and Extension Centre in Wenatchee, Washington, USA. His areas of interest include tree fruit physiology, abiotic stress, plant nutrition and the impacts of the pre-harvest environment on post-harvest physiology. He will present during Speed Updating looking at xylem function in apples and will share information about calcium uptake and distribution in apples during the APAL sessions on Tuesday.

Tristan Kitchener

Kitchener Partners Pty Ltd

Tristan is an ex-retailer, having previously held senior positions with Sainsbury’s (UK) and Coles supermarkets, and is now a management consultant providing advice and support along the grocery value chain, from major retailers through to manufacturers and primary producers. He has a focus upon fresh foods and was the Group Merchandise Manager, Fresh Produce, at Coles Supermarkets (2005-09).

Tristan has his own consulting business, Kitchener Partners Pty Ltd, focused upon providing strategic and advisory support. Increasingly Tristan assists businesses understand the implications of the changing retail and consumer environment, and helps identify solutions to key business challenges.

Tristan is a strong advocate for supply chain members collaborating more closely to better understand and meet the needs of the consumer. He believes that this can be most effectively achieved by transferring learning from other markets and sectors.

Tristan is a regular speaker at industry conferences, and appears as a sector expert in shows such as Switzer Daily on Sky TV. He has worked with a range of businesses including major and independent retailers, manufactures, private equity firms, state and federal government and other SMEs. Tristan’s formal qualifications include a MBA, MPhil Horticulture Management and BSc (Hons) Biological Sciences.

Martin Kneebone

Freshlogic

Martin Kneebone brings a detailed understanding of fresh fruit and vegetables as a result of experience in all parts of the food supply chain. His company Freshlogic is a Melbourne based specialist provider of market insights to commercial and government stakeholders involved in fresh food production and marketing across Australia and SE Asia. Freshlogic’s ability is enabled by a set of research and analysis capacities designed expressly to provide commercial insight into fresh food markets. Martin will share insights on the drivers of market information in vegetable supply chains and how this has influenced how Freshlogic have designed the wholesale price reports in the pilot project.

Tommy Le

Tommy Le serves as a pillar for the Vietnamese farming community and is driven by the desire to help other families – like his own – who have immigrated to Australia. As a child, Tommy came to Australia in 1987 with his family after spending two years in a Thailand refugee camp after fleeing still-volatile Vietnam by boat.

Tommy considers himself lucky to have come to Australia at a young age, where he had the opportunity to attend school and learn English. Those who come over later in life are not as lucky, he said, as they must work to support their family and cannot attend school. Therefore, Tommy has dedicated his professional life to helping Vietnamese families in his area establish and build a profitable agricultural business.

In addition to working with them at a grower level, Tommy champions the Vietnamese farming community at a commercial level too. He is working with high-end and independent supermarket brands to have premium products grown by the Vietnamese community on their shelves. This is another way he strives to achieve the highest returns for his partner growers.

Scott Ledger

Manbulloo

Scott Ledger has over 40 years’ experience working with horticulture businesses to improve knowledge and practices. His experience spans a wide range of crops, covering aspects such as technology development, monitoring and improving supply chain handling systems, implementing quality and food safety systems and developing pathways for access to export markets. In 2012, Scott retired from the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries after 38 years’ service. His last role was leader of the Supply Chain Innovation R&D team within the Horticulture and Forestry Science Group. Since 1995 Scott has worked with an Australia-wide network of technical experts to help the Australian horticulture industry develop and implement on-farm assurance programs. This has included developing guidelines for approved supplier programs and on-farm food safety and developing and delivering training courses for farmers. The network was the driving force behind the establishment of the Freshcare Program and Scott has continued to work with Freshcare as a member of the Technical Working Group. For the past 5 years Scott has been working with leading mango company, Manbulloo, to develop competitive and sustainable supply chains. His current role is Quality and Export Manager.

Rowan Little

Montague

Rowan Little is the General Manager for Intellectual Property and Business Development at Montague. In his role Rowan is responsible for all Research and Development activities within the Montague Business. Rowan has worked for Montague for more than 20 years. During this time he has fulfilled a number of roles in sales, marketing and production. Prior to commencing at Montague, Rowan worked for Woolworths Ltd.

Rowan is also active in a number of Horticultural industry organisations. He is currently a member of Horticulture Innovation Australia Asia Markets Advisory Panel. In addition, he sits on Apple and Pear Australia’s Stakeholder Working Group.

Rowan has a Master of Arts from Regent College (University of British Columbia) and a Bachelor of Arts from Monash University in Melbourne.

Dr Hazel MacTavish-West

VegDoctor and Churchill Fellow

Hazel is an independent consultant with 25+ years’ experience in plant and food science, natural flavours and fragrances, colours and bioactives.  In Australia, Hazel works with primary producers, food manufacturers, retailers and consumers, to create tasty, practical and on-trend new food products.  Hazel’s recently completed projects are diverse: flavours for dried cheese snacks and gin, converting oysters into sauce and potatoes into potato salad and vodka.  A highlight was turning the aroma of the Tasmanian Devil into a retail installation!  A key focus is greater use of fruit and vegetables as healthy and functional ingredients in a diverse range of food products.  Hazel and her team, an arsenal of global food experts, provide food innovation training to the Australian food industry, especially the vegetable sector and regional agri-food producers.  Hazel has been awarded a Churchill Fellowship* for a study tour of Europe in early/mid 2018 to investigate the opportunities to incorporate more fruit and vegetables into value-added, convenient, healthy foods.  Hazel will focus on opportunities relevant to Australian fruit and vegetable producers, especially around value-adding and utilisation of more of the crop.

*A Churchill Fellowship is an opportunity for Australian Citizens to travel overseas in search of new ideas, innovation and excellence, to enable the exchange of knowledge, technology and experience for the benefit of Australian Society www.churchilltrust.com.au

Dr Michael Manion

Keon Research

Dr Michael Manion is an inventor, scientist and entrepreneur. He has worked both in the USA and Australia for research institutes, universities, investment groups and private companies across a range of technology landscapes and intellectual property domains. After completing his BSc with Honours at The University of Newcastle, Australia, he obtained a PhD in Physiology and Biophysics from UAB. This was followed by several years in cancer research at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle. He completed an MBA in Technology Management at the University of Washington, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In addition to a scientific career, Michael has worked internationally in technology commercialisation, assisting with intellectual property management, research & development as well as licensing and start-up formation including VC fundraising. Michael has served as a Director on several companies including biotech, technology and non-profit organizations. Michael has successfully invented, developed and commercialized technologies in a diverse array of domains from biotech, ag-tech, food-tech, nanotech, medical devices, materials science, water technology, energy systems, optical computing, and recycling systems. He is a named inventor on more than 50 patent applications. In 2010 he founded Invention Evaluator to support inventors and those who help bring new technologies to the market through quality invention analysis. Invention Evaluator was acquired by Tekcapital (LON:TEK) in 2014. In 2013 he established Keon Research in Seattle; an innovation consultancy and technology development company working on a diverse range of novel technologies together with his creative team of scientists.

Prof Neena Mitter

The University of Queensland

Professor Neena Mitter is the Director for the Centre for Horticultural Sciences at the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation, at The University of Queensland. Prof Mitter is an agricultural biotechnologist recognised for her leadership in innovative cross-functional research and exceptional industry engagement to address global challenges of agriculture and food security.

Her innovations creating change by research, namely ‘BioClay for plant protection‘, ‘Nanovaccines for animal health‘, and “Clonal propagation of avocado using plant stem cells” are ground breaking platform technologies impacting agricultural production, environmental sustainability and socio-economic dynamics of the farming community.

Dr Peyman Moghadam

CSIRO Data61

Dr Peyman Moghadam is the AgTech Cluster Leader at the Autonomous Systems, CSIRO, Data61, where he leads the transition of innovative technologies into farms. He received his PhD in Robotics from the Nanyang Technological University (Singapore) in 2011. Before joining CSIRO, he has worked in number of top leading organizations such as the Deutsche Telekom Laboratories (Germany), the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (Singapore). He has won numerous awards for his innovations including National iAward for Research and Development and the Lord Mayor’s Budding Entrepreneurs Award. Dr Moghadam is also an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) and Adjunct Fellow at the University of Queensland (UQ).

Venessa Moodley

Omnia

Venessa Moodley is a biotechnologist who started her career at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research in South Africa, and has been with Omnia for the past ten years. She is the driving force behind Omnia’s biological department, OmniBio™ which focusses on sustainable farming practices. Venessa has led the research, creation and development of this significant breakthrough in the fight to improve soil health and increase yields, with minimum impact to the environment.

Erik Pekkeriet

Wageningen University and Research

Erik Pekkeriet (born in 1970) is working as a Senior Project Manager in Agro Food Robotics at Wageningen University and Research, The Netherlands.

He is leading the business development of the Agro Food Robotics Program at Wageningen connecting all science groups with business in the Agro Food Robotics domain. Main projects he started and worked on the last 15 years were: vision sorting systems for pot plants, cut flowers and vegetables in X-ray-, hypersepctral-, Fluorescence- en RGB-technology in 2D and 3D; robot harvesting systems for cutting roses, gerberas, cucumbers, sweet peppers and tomato leaves and new moving greenhouse production systems for chrysanthemum, pot plants, cucumber and several open field horticultural solutions.

His main focus at the moment is to connect camera sensor systems to spatial information as the precision horticulture approach in greenhouses and in the open field. Building IoT solutions and powerful measures through farm management systems. Erik will provide an update on state of the art technologies and beyond.

Rod Quantock

Comedian

Rod Quantock is a pioneer of Australian comedy with more than forty-five years in stand-up, cabaret, theatre, television and radio. He is the only comedian to have performed at the first 30 Melbourne International Comedy Festivals and one of the few – perhaps the only – to be awarded an Order of Australia for his work. It is not hyperbole to say that he is an Australian legend.

Rod is known first and foremost as a very funny man but his reach extends beyond comedy into political and social activism. A passionate environmental activist and advocate for social justice, he lobs Molotov cocktails of mirth at the most serious of subjects. When you see Rod Quantock in action, you can be sure he’ll be talking about something of substance; he just may be holding a rubber chicken.

For his trouble, Rod has received numerous awards over his 45 year career, but he’s perhaps most proud of his 2015 Order of Australia, his 2004 Sydney Myer Performing Arts Award (putting him in the company of such arts luminaries as Geoffrey Rush, Robyn Nevin, Nick Enright, Lucy Guerin and Paul Grabowsky) and his Honorary Associate Fellowship at the Institute of Sustainability at Melbourne University for his contribution to the environmental debate in this country. His career and contribution are unparalleled.

Rod’s performing career began with a low profile 1954 appearance in the West Coburg Baptist Church’s Nativity Play. He played the role of the Guiding Star. He’s been guiding audiences in the Quantock world-view ever since. The remarkable thing about Rod’s long career is that he has remained a contemporary stand-up comedian, evolving and staying at the forefront of the craft.

Dr Rohan Rainbow

Crop Protection Australia

Dr Rohan Rainbow has over 30 years of experience in industry leadership having overseen the development and implementation of a number of industry strategies in plant breeding, crop protection, biosecurity, food and feed safety, farming systems, precision agriculture, robotics, automation and data.

Bryan Raymond

Citi Research

Bryan Raymond is a Retail Analyst at Citi, researching retail businesses including Woolworths, Coles, Metcash in the grocery industry, as well as department stores, electronics, hardware and clothing industries. Citi Research’s consumer team has been at the forefront of analysing the trends in the grocery industry as well as the long-term impacts of Amazon in the Australian market, following their 2017 launch.

Jesse Reader

Bosch Australia

Jesse Reader is the Agriculture Sector Specialist at Bosch Australia. Jesse is an accomplished agronomist with 15yrs experience in Horticulture and has spent that time in a variety of roles including on-farm technical agronomy nationally, providing management and oversight of multimillion dollar R&D portfolios and in more recent times consulting to the horticulture industry. Jesse’s position at Apple and Pear Australia Ltd saw him drive infield technology transfer and extension through the flagship Future Orchards program, earning him the industry impact award for 2015.

Jesse’s current role at global giant Bosch combines his deep technical knowhow with business development and application – as Bosch explore the global AgTech market and look to align industry pain points with their extensive capability in sensors, automation, robotics, software and IoT connectivity.

Current robotic and automation engagement ranges from commercial, in-field robotic platform development, through to pack house process automation.

Chris Riddell

Chris Riddell is an award winning global futurist and industry recognized inspirational keynote speaker on emerging trends in our hyper connected world. He is a global pattern hunter, discovering and identifying how humans are changing and adapting to high speed change, unlocking insights for businesses and leaders in today’s highly disrupted digital world.

A global trailblazer, Chris Riddell has worked for some of the largest and most defining businesses and brands in our modern world. Having lived and worked in countries such as the UK, Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Kuwait, China, New Zealand and lately Australia, his understanding of our new world is compelling and thought provoking to say the least.

Notably, Chris Riddell was the first ever Chief Digital Officer (CDO) for MARS Incorporated, architecting the corporate digital strategy behind brands including Whiskas, Pedigree, Wrigley, Starburst, Masterfoods, Snickers and Maltesers.

Chris Riddell is frequently called on as a futurist, speaker and expert commentator to give insights into consumer technology trends within traditional media. As a regular on Sky News Business, The Project on Ten, Channel 7’s The Morning Show, The Daily Edition prime time shows, and ABC 774 Radio, Chris Riddell’s insights and expertise as a trend spotter extend far beyond the walls of the corporate world.

Futurist for the leaders of tomorrow, and keynote speaker for businesses of today. For more information visit www.chrisriddell.com.

Rachael Robertson

BA, Grad.Dip.M’ment, MBA

Rachael led the Australian expedition to Davis Station, Antarctica – the second female to lead a team at the Station and the youngest ever leader.

She managed a team of 18 people through the long, dark, Antarctic winter and through trial and error built a resilient and highly successful team based on the foundation that ‘respect trumps harmony’.

Since returning Rachael has completed her MBA, written a best-selling book, Leading on the Edge, and has presented at over 1200 events around the world.

Dr Gordon Rogers

Applied Horticultural Research

Gordon is Principal of Applied Horticultural Research (AHR) and adjunct Professor of Horticulture with the University of Sydney. Gordon’s current focus is on extension and research in soil health, vegetable agronomy, crop physiology and the development of sustainable crop production systems. He set up Applied Horticultural Research in 1996 to help provide practical solutions for the horticulture industry in Australia and overseas by applying scientific research. His passion is for communicating the results of such research to growers and end-users in a way that helps them implement the findings.

Gilad Sadan

N.A.V.I. Co (Network, Advice, Value, Innovation)

Gilad Sadan is the Managing Director of N.A.V.I. Co (Network, Advice, Value, Innovation). based in Melbourne Australia.

N.A.V.I Co. Global specialises in the Fresh Produce sector. Working with Growers and Marketers to create products from concept to fruition.

​The business Key focus areas are on Brand & Packaging design – – Shelf Life & Modified atmosphere packaging – – Mock ups and rendering – – Retail presentation using innovative state of the art technology (Augmented Reality).

Through his network of connections, Gilad works to source the most suitable packaging, machinery, equipment and service providers to help products land on supermarket shelves.

Gilad started his career as the sales and marketing manager, and later the CEO, of plastic packaging manufacturer Raptis Pax. Before that he was an Officer in the IDF for 4 years.

Using emerging 3D digital visualisation tools you can see what your product will look like on the supermarket shelves. Doing it right from the outset is the most time and cost efficient way.

In the past 10 years Gilad gained extensive knowledge and expertise in the Fresh Produce industry. During his time as Sales and Marketing Manager and CEO of Raptis Pax he developed a wide range of products for the Fruit & Vegetable and retail industries.

N.A.V.I  Co. services range from New Product Development, Branding and Marketing, Packaging to Artwork design and taking your product from concept to fruition.

Through a network of connections N.A.V.I. Co. can find and source the most suitable packaging, machinery, equipment and service providers to deliver a mature concept that is ready for a Supermarket presentation.

Gilad regularly travels overseas to Europe, Asia and the USA to determine the up-and-coming trends and concepts from around the world.

​N.A.V.I. Co Global – Fresh growth!

Steve Saunders

Plus Group Horticulture

Steve has over 34 years of experience and expertise in the New Zealand horticulture industry across the following disciplines: growing, innovation, robotics and tech development, new product to market, post-harvest ownership, export of horticultural products internationally (including pollen and pollen application systems) and project management. Steve will present during the APAL sessions on Tuesday and will participate in the panel session on Wednesday.

Henry Segerius

Primo Moraitis Fresh

Henry Segerius joined pmfresh in 2013 as Operations Manager (Homebush, NSW) and has recently taken on national responsibility for human resources, safety and non-stock procurement in the role of Operations Support Manager. Henry is a professional, senior manager with a strong record of achievement, and a reputation for the development of operational best practice including teamwork, industrial relations, change management and safety leadership. Henry’s experience has been gained across a broad range of large manufacturers in the food industry, in Queensland, Western Australia, Victoria and New Zealand.

Wayne Shields

Peninsula Fresh Organic

Wayne Shields is a certified organic market gardener based in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula region. He established Peninsula fresh Organics on his family’s 5-acre block in Baxter back in 2009.

Once certified as an Organic grower along with wife Tash, they took advantage of the opportunities presented to them in the organic market place and now grow 15 lines of different vegetables in three different sites, from Baxter & Daylesford, up to Barham in the NSW Riverina.

Along with growing vegetables, Wayne advocates for small farmers via his Presidency of The Victorian Farmers Market Association, a 900 member organisation that has recently joined the board of Australian Certified Organic, Australia’s leading organic certifier.

Fiona Simson

President/National Farmers' Federation

Fiona Simson is a farmer from the Liverpool Plains in NSW where she, husband Ed and family run a mixed farming enterprise including broad acre farming and breeding commercial poll Hereford cattle.

With tertiary qualifications in business and education, Fiona’s passion for local food production and the growth and sustainability of rural and regional Australia led to a career in local government as an elected Councillor in Liverpool Plains Shire Council and an elected representative of NSW Farmers’ Association. In 2011, she became the first woman President of the Association retaining that position for a full four year term.

Passionate about the power of a unified voice for agriculture, Fiona also believes in its role in a strong and vibrant future for regional Australia.

Fiona sits on the Board of NRMA (NSW), the Australian Made Campaign Ltd, AgStewardship Australia and the Australian Farmers Fighting Fund.

Fiona was elected President of the National Farmers’ Federation in November 2016.

Graeme Smith

Graeme Smith Consulting

• Company formed in 1998 to offer system and crop consultancy services to new and existing growers across Australia.
• Company has developed full training package in commercial hydroponic crop production.
• Facilitated a 5-year plan for the development and delivery of a skills training package for all industry growers across Australia.
• Developed and delivered national workshops to assist greenhouse growers to convert to full nutrient recycling (closed) systems
• Company facilitates greenhouse study tours of Europe & North America, encouraging growers to assess firsthand new and emerging technologies and how to integrate into their existing systems.
• Performs detailed feasibility studies including climate and financial studies for new and existing enterprises (inc ROI & EBIT)
• Graeme is a Certified Practicing Agriculturist and is an Accredited Member of the Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology (AIAST).
• Graeme is Chairman of ISHS Working Group ‘Hydroponics and Aquaponics’

Heather Smyth

QAAFI, The University of Queensland

Dr Heather Smyth is sensory scientist and flavour chemist with the Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation. Her work involves understanding human sensory perception and exploring how the compositional and sensory qualities of foods can drive consumer preferences. Dr Smyth is a chief investigator of Naturally Nutritious, a Hort Innovation project, which aims to identify new horticultural opportunities in nutritionally bio-fortified plant foods. Dr Smyth is currently based in Brisbane at the Health and Food Sciences Precinct and collaborates closely with the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Prof Salah Sukkarieh

The Australian Centre for Field Robotics

Professor Salah Sukkarieh is an international expert in the research, development and commercialisation of field robotic systems. He has led a number of robotics and intelligent systems R&D projects in logistics, commercial aviation, aerospace, education, environment monitoring, agriculture and mining. He was awarded the NSW Science and Engineering Award for Excellence in Engineering and Information and Communications Technologies in 2014, and the 2017 CSIRO Eureka Prize for Leadership in Innovation and Science. Salah is a Fellow of Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).

Professor Karen Theron

Stellenbosch University

Karen has been associated with Stellenbosch University since 1985 and is currently Full Professor and Chair of the Department of Horticultural Science. Her interests include applied aspects of deciduous fruit production and research in the areas of plant growth regulators and fruit thinning. Karen will present an overview of current research activities in the South African apple and pear industry, touching on the impact of drought and other industry challenges during Speed Updating. She will also share an overview of plant growth regulator use in their apple and pear production during the APAL sessions on Tuesday.

Ed Treacy

PMA

With more than 34 years of senior management experience in logistics and supply chain management, Ed Treacy has served the last 8 years as PMA’s expert in developing supply chain practices to lead the produce and floral industries forward.

As a citizen of Canada, the U.S. and Ireland, Treacy has spent most of his career working with major Canadian retail chains, including Loblaw Companies Ltd., Shoppers Drug Mart and Sobeys Inc., where he held the position of Senior Vice President of Logistics and Engineering.

Among his responsibilities, Treacy monitors and forecast trends related to supply chain efficiencies, designs and maintains related products, services and educational events for PMA members. He also serves as staff lead and technical consultant to the industry-wide Produce Traceability Initiative (PTI), and leads all data synchronization and alignment initiatives for PMA. He is the current chairman of the International Federation for Produce Standards.

Treacy received his bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Toronto, graduated from the Executive Development Program at York University in Toronto and holds a Professional Engineer (P. Eng.) and Professional Logistician (P. Log.) designations.

Nicolas Tsurukawa

Urban Crop Solutions

Nicolas Tsurukawa is a bioengineer, a researcher on urban farming policies at Liege University (Belgium), a member of the Japanese Association of Indoor Farming, and Japan country manager for Urban Crop Solutions, an industrial turn-key supplier of automated indoor farming facilities with a portfolio of 180+ crop varieties.

Maarten van Ham

Multi Tool Trac

Maarten A. van Ham MSc (1964 The Netherlands) is a creative and international working entrepreneur experienced in mechanics, green technology, agriculture, construction, innovation, sales and leisure.

After his studies in Organizational Culture Maarten has lived and worked in various countries. A very valuable experience was acquired during his work for Doctors without Borders in Eastern Europe and Africa. After his marriage with his Spanish wife he manages their family estate in Toledo, Spain, growing olives and cereals.

Ever since his brother Paul started Multi Tool Trac Maarten has been involved in the development of the first electric tractor (PHEV) in the world. Since 2015 he has focusing on international purchases and sales.

Kees Versteeg

Qualipac

Kees has been with Qualipac since July 2010 and has worked in the horticultural/food producing industry for many years. Kees brings over a decade of experience and passion in the areas of domestic and international sales, marketing and business development to his role at Qualipac.

Since graduating in The Netherlands with a BA-Degree (specialised in International Agricultural Trade), he has a long standing record of successes achieved for various horticultural companies in The Netherlands and the Middle East.

Passionate about growers and the Australian Horticultural Industry, he is an executive member of Onions Australia (and served 2 years as their Chairman) and is a member of both the Onion Strategic Investment Advisory Panel (SIAP) and the Vegetable Market and Value Chain Advisory Panel managed by Hort Innovation.

Nicole Wagenecht

ReachLocal ANZ

Nicole Wagenecht is the Head of the Partner Channel at ReachLocal ANZ, an innovative, fast-paced company that helps local business get more out of their marketing. Over the course of her career, Nicole has been training and working with sales and services teams on how to be the trusted advisor to their clients. With 14 years’ experience in marketing, she’s an expert in guiding businesses along the Path-to-Purchase, showcasing how marketing can help achieve business goals and demonstrating exactly what works through behavioural profiling and cutting-edge marketing concepts.

Amy Walker

Cognitives

Amy heads up Growth at Cognitives, a content-driven marketing platform streamlining content operations for leading brands across Australia and globally. Prior to founding Cognitives, Amy held management positions at Xero and GeoOp, both publicly listed SaaS companies.

Amy is passionate about using innovative technology to disrupt how brands think about marketing. A regular keynote speaker at marketing events, she is inspired by how global brands are combining content and technology to build engaging and effective integrated marketing strategies. Amy lives in Melbourne and is a dog-mum to a very cheeky puppy.

Kevin Walsh

Seminis

Global Recommendation Lead, Monsanto Vegetable Seeds

A global expert in the vegetable seed industry, Kevin has extensive experience in connecting research projects to commercial field systems. Kevin has worked for over 25 years in the vegetable industry, within the seed business for the last 14 years and the prior 12 years within the retailer shipper industry. Currently Kevin leads the automation projects within Seminis, exploring how breeding techniques are leading to new varieties that allow for labour saving technologies, particularly at harvest.  He has successfully launched several varieties with adaption to automation bringing solutions to growers with labour efficiency.

Brett Wiskar

Wiley

Brett Wiskar is R&D and Innovation Director at Wiley.

Brett has spent the last 20 years in digital, technology and innovation in Australia and the UK. Prior to joining Wiley his entrepreneurial approach to innovation was used to drive business change and digital platform adoption across large corporates and government agencies across Australia.  He has worked with some of the largest brands in the country on their digital roadmap and innovation programs. He is a recipient of numerous awards and is a frequent speaker on the topics of innovation and technology.  At Wiley Brett’s role is to work with clients and project teams on diverse subjects such digital enablement, innovation, data (big & small), strategy, business models & the future of food industries & markets. He is responsible for Wiley’s Technology, Innovation, R&D and Data Consulting services and works with clients to drive efficiencies across their operations.

Dr Jens Wünsche

University of Hohenheim

Jens researches and teaches crop physiology of temperate and subtropical fruit crops. He studies specific plant and organ processes in response to environmental or crop management triggers. Jens is part of the Productivity, Irrigation, Pests and Soils (PIPS2) team and his project, Physiological, metabolic and molecular basis of biennial bearing in apple combines the skills and experiences of researchers in both Australia and Germany to develop new knowledge on key plant processes that regulate flowering in apple trees. PIPS2 is a strategic levy investment under the Hort Innovation Apple and Pear Fund. Jens will share his insights from the project during Speed Updating. He will also present during the APAL sessions on Tuesday and participate in the panel session on Wednesday.

Drew Yancey

Clareo

A veteran of the fresh produce and cold chain industry, Drew is a CEO, entrepreneur, and advisor with expertise in organizational strategy and human capital development. As the Director of Strategy for the 37th largest foodservice distributor in North America, he led its sale to a Top 5 broadliner. He is now the President of Yancey’s, a retail distribution and merchandising company based in Colorado. He is also an Innovation Strategist at Clareo, a management consulting firm that helps companies adapt their businesses for new growth paths in rapidly changing markets. Drew is a food industry leader and advocate with founding membership in Pro Act (the largest partnership of independent perishable distributors in North America), and active involvement in United Fresh and PMA. Drew has an MBA from Texas A&M, an MDiv from Denver Seminary, and is a PhD candidate in ethics at the University of Birmingham (UK).

Alice Zaslavsky

Alice in Frames

Alice Zaslavsky has made a career out of crafting stories and connections through food, as teacher, writer, television host and live presenter. Since her on-screen debut on Masterchef Australia in 2012, Alice has gone on to host kids’ food and lifestyle programs Crunch Time and Kitchen Whiz, which can be caught on Nine’s Channel Go!, whilst Short Cuts to Glory (for slightly bigger kids) is on ABC. On the airwaves, Alice cohosts a regular “Veg Seg” on ABC Radio Drive, where listeners call in to share their favourite recipes and stories about seasonal vegetables. As Food Editor for The Weekly Review, her ‘Feed’ was a weekly fixture in 630,000 homes across Melbourne. Her best-selling fresh food fact book, Alice’s Food A-Z was the first cookbook to be given a Notable gong by the Children’s Book Council of Australia. Most recently, Alice has returned to her educational roots, spearheading the creation of Phenomenom, a digital food education program supported by Hort Innovation’s Vegetable Fund. Through Phenomenom Alice aims to redirect the conversation around kids and vegetables, by making them an exciting part of every classroom. When not sharing soundscapes, screens, and/or stages with the world’s best culinary talent, Alice can be found on social media as @aliceinframes.