Director Elections

Each year Dairy Australia conducts a search for persons who are suitably skilled for nomination for election to the Board at its Annual General Meeting (AGM). The selection process is overseen by a Board Selection Committee (BSC), which recommends candidates for endorsement by the Board.

This process ensures that candidates are rigorously assessed against the skills needed for a Director position and that an open and transparent application process is followed.

Professional recruitment support is engaged to assist the BSC to identify qualified candidates for non-Milk Producer Director positions who have the appropriate skills, experience and outlook required for this position.

Board composition and committees

Dairy Australia’s Board comprises eight non-executive directors and the Managing Director. The Board provides oversight of the organisation and ensures the dairy levy is invested in programs that support the profitability and sustainability of dairy farmers. A Board Skills Matrix specifies the mix of skills required by Directors and is a requirement of Dairy Australia’s funding agreement with the Commonwealth Government. Dairy Australia’s Constitution requires that:

• the Board as a whole has an appropriate balance of skills and experience, having regard to the nature of the business and affairs of the company
• the Board has at least four directors with milk producer skills
• the Directors rotate with either two or three directors retiring each year, so that no director serves longer than three years without having to present themselves for re-election. Directors cannot serve for more than three consecutive terms (i.e. nine years in total).

The Board has three standing committees that assist it in discharging its responsibilities: an Audit and Risk Management Committee and a Human Resources Committee (both comprised of Dairy Australia Directors), and a Board Selection Committee (four of its five members are appointed by industry).

Directors are required to understand the responsibilities and obligations of company directors, possess general commercial and financial literacy and are expected to act with integrity, honesty and in a collaborative manner.

Board selection process

The Board is assisted in its search for suitable Director candidates by the BSC. This is a standing committee appointed for a 12-month period.  It has five members comprising two representatives of each of Dairy Australia’s Group B Members (Australian Dairy Farmers and the Australian Dairy Products Federation), representing the Australian dairy industry, and the Chair of the BSC who is a Dairy Australia Director (not standing for re-election).

The BSC’s role is to identify and nominate candidates who will ensure that the Board collectively has an appropriate balance of skills and experience in relation to the nature of the business and affairs of Dairy Australia.

After assessing the applications received and interviewing candidates, the BSC recommends one candidate for each Director vacancy for endorsement by the Board. Endorsed candidates then stand for election at the AGM as Dairy Australia Board nominees.

The BSC is assisted by an executive search consultant (Rimfire Resources) to source applicants for the dairy supply chain and product promotion skills vacancy and for the agribusiness, innovation and adoption skills vacancy.

A Pre-Selection Committee (PSC) assists with selection of farmer milk producer candidates.  The PSC comprises three members appointed by Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) who will provide a short list of milk producer candidates to the BSC for consideration.

Time commitment required of Dairy Australia Board Directors

The overall time commitment is approximately 20 - 25 days a year. The Board generally meets 8-10 times per year, usually at Dairy Australia’s offices in Melbourne. Some meetings may be held at regional locations or hosted online via web conference.  

In addition, each Director is expected to sit on one of the Board Committees that assist the Board in discharging its responsibilities: an Audit and Risk Management Committee and a Human Resources Committee.  The Committees usually meet four – five times per year.

Directors are also be expected to make regional visits and attend industry events.

Director Elections 2023

There are four vacancies for the Dairy Australia Board. Two of the four vacant positions are for directors with milk producer skills, one is for a director with agribusiness, innovation and adoption skills, and another is for a director with dairy supply chain and product promotion skills.

The terms of three directors - Roseanne Healy, Tania Luckin and Paul Roderick - expire at the AGM.  Paul Roderick will stand for re-election, while Tania Luckin and Roseanne Healy will retire from the Board. In addition, the term of Paul van Heerwaarden, who was appointed to fill a casual vacancy in December 2022, also expires at the AGM. Paul is standing for re-election.

Following a comprehensive search and selection process, four candidates have been recommended by the Board Selection Committee:

• Paul Bennett for agribusiness, innovation and adoption skills

• Paul van Heerwaarden for dairy supply chain and product promotion skills

• Karen Moroney for milk producer skills

• Paul Roderick for milk producer skills

Paul Bennett is from Tasmania and is Chair of family owned and award-winning Ashgrove Cheese. He was previously the Chair of DairyTas, is a dairy and beef farmer, and is involved in many community and youth organisations.

Paul van Heerwaarden’s family farming background led him to a career path in agribusiness including six years as CEO of Bega Cheese Ltd. He has served on a number of company and joint venture boards including for several years as a member director of Dairy Innovation Australia Ltd.

Karen Moroney is a farmer from Eskdale in North-east Victoria and is a former Chair of Murray Dairy. She is also a director of AgBiz Assist, a rural financial counselling service and President of the Mitta Valley Landcare Group.

Paul Roderick was appointed to the Dairy Australia Board in November 2020, and has operated his family dairy farm at Harrisville in South-east Queensland for the last 30 years. He was previously Chair of Subtropical Dairy and had a role in setting up the Young Dairy Network in Queensland.

In accordance with Dairy Australia’s Constitution, candidates who wish to nominate separately to the Board Selection Committee process can submit their nomination in writing, supported by signatures from at least 100 Group A members of Dairy Australia. For details, refer to Dairy Australia Election of Directors 2023 – Briefing.

Completed nominations must be received by Dairy Australia by 5pm Thursday 31 August 2023. 

Information about how to participate in the AGM and instructions for voting will be provided closer to the date. 

Advertisement for Dairy Supply Chain & Product Promotion Director vacancy
Australian Financial Review, 30 April 2021