Acting CEO Appointment - Rod Hayes takes the helm
Food & Fibre Gippsland is pleased to announce the appointment of Rod Hayes as acting CEO. The Board shares its confidence in Rod's leadership and extensive experience.
Left to Right: Rod Hayes, Acting CEO, Food & Fibre Gippsland (F&FG); Barry Rogers, Board Chair of F&FG; and F&FG Life Member Andrew Bulmer, Managing Director of Bulmer Farms and Founding Member of F&FG. Photo taken at Farm World 2025, Lardner Park, West Gippsland, on Fri 28 March 2025.
Dear Members & Friends,
The F&FG Board is delighted to announce that Rod Hayes has accepted the role of acting CEO commencing immediately.
Rod Hayes brings a wealth of experience and a proven track record to Food & Fibre Gippsland. He is a highly regarded professional within the agricultural landscape across Victoria and beyond, possessing a deep-rooted understanding of the sector and a strategic vision that positions him as an ideal leader during this transitional phase.
Since joining Food & Fibre Gippsland in May 2024, Rod has been instrumental in the successful delivery of the Regional Drought Resilience Plan implementation. This initiative highlights his commitment to supporting the region's agricultural community and demonstrates his ability to navigate complex challenges and drive meaningful outcomes. His quick integration into our team and his demonstrated expertise have been impressive.
Prior to his tenure with F&FG, Rod played a significant role in shaping drought resilience strategies across the state. As the facilitator behind each of Victoria's Regional Drought Resilience Plans while working for AgVic, he possesses an unparalleled understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing our sector. His experience in developing and implementing these critical plans will be invaluable as F&FG continues to support its members.
The F&FG Board has full confidence in Rod's ability to guide the organisation with vision and integrity during this period. His deep understanding of the agricultural sector, combined with his proven leadership, makes him the perfect fit for this role.
Food & Fibre Gippsland team, with members of the Federal Drought Hub delegation to Gippsland (Left to Right: Barry Rogers, F&FG Chair; 3rd from left Brodie Anderson, Regional Drought Resilience Officer; 5th from left Rod Hayes, Acting CEO; and adjacent to Rod is Julian Hill F&FG’s Vic Hub - Gippsland Node Lead. Ben Gebert, former CEO is second from right.
Rod's appointment comes at a crucial time for Food & Fibre Gippsland. The organisation remains committed to its mission of connecting and growing Gippsland's $7 billion food and fibre sector. His leadership will be vital in ensuring the continuation of F&FG's important work, fostering collaboration, and driving innovation within the region.
We are confident that Rod's extensive experience and unwavering passion for the agricultural industry will serve Food & Fibre Gippsland and its members exceptionally well. We look forward to Rod leading F&FG through this period of transition and beyond.
Barry Rogers
Chair
Food & Fibre Gippsland
About Food & Fibre Gippsland
Food & Fibre Gippsland is a not-for-profit organisation. We work with industry and stakeholders to create opportunities for a prosperous and sustainable food and fibre sector in Gippsland.
Our mission is to lead capacity building, innovation, and knowledge sharing, working collaboratively with industry and responding to the ideas and challenges across the region.
