Chief Executive Officer

A fifth-generation farmer and advocate for regional and rural Australia, Ben brings his experience in agribusiness finance, the government sector, and strategic partnership brokering to his position as F&FG’s Acting Chief Executive Officer.

Passionate about meaningful collaboration, Ben strives to develop relationships that assist communities, businesses, and individuals to realise their potential.

Ben is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors; The Chair of The Maffra and District Landcare Network; and has been recognised as an emerging industries leader by AgriFutures Australia. Ben is based in Stratford where he operates a dryland grazing farm with partner, Cass.

Marketing and Communications Manager

A Gippslander for over 30 years, Barb began her career in the dairy sector, later co-establishing a successful mixed farming enterprise within the organics industry.

Barb was then drawn towards community development and health promotion, where she specialised in stakeholder engagement while honing her technical and creative abilities in marketing and communication.

A passion for storytelling and photography have since led Barb to pursue a degree in media and communication. She brings a keen interest in public relations and community advocacy to her role.

Office Manager

Amber is an experienced administrator with an extensive career in data analysis and business management. Bringing her end-to-end business skills acquired throughout her corporate career, Amber and her family made a ‘seachange’ to Lakes Entrance in 2018.

Having lead team-focused projects, delivered and implemented business optimisation recommendations and interacted with stakeholders across multiple industries, Amber has developed a solid foundation in business and resource planning, along with experience in a multitude of software applications.

Amber loves supporting local businesses and is passionate about helping organisations and industries in the food and fibre sector to thrive.

Project Manager - Regional Industry Innovation

Elena’s strong academic background in food and nutritional science and pharmacy management is the perfect foundation for connecting researchers with industry.

As a project manager, Elena is skilled at turning science into new opportunities for Gippsland’s food and fibre sector; the process is collaborative.

Elena brings government, research, industry and the community together to develop projects that assess the viability and sustainability of emerging industries.

Transitioning from a role directly employed by the Latrobe Valley Authority (LVA), Elena leads stakeholder engagement across all Smart Specialisation (GS3) food and fibre programs.

Elena is currently on maternity leave.

VegNET Gippsland - Regional Development Officer

A proud Gippslander, Amanda brings well-established local connections to her role in the horticulture industry.

With a solid background within the food and fibre sector, Amanda's focus is on delivering results for vegetable growers, while linking them with the rest of industry to enhance research and development efforts.

Prior to commencing in her current position, Amanda's passion for stakeholder engagement was a natural fit for the Smart Specialisation (GS3) collaborative model. As a project manager, Amanda delivered innovative industry opportunities in the GS3 stream.

Amanda has also previously led Food & Fibre Gippsland’s C2E team in the successful delivery of employment outcomes for jobseekers across our region.

Vic Hub - Gippsland Node Lead

Food & Fibre Gippsland recognises the need to develop workforce capabilities for now and into the future and to build stronger partnerships across industry, training providers and TAFEs.

To support this, Julian is implementing an innovative and collaborative project, designed to drive real transformational change. The pilot project is engaging a small cohort of early adopters to deliver a tangible solution and sustainable exemplar for further industry adoption in Gippsland, and potentially beyond.

Julian has an extensive background in the management of research development and extension in agriculture and horticulture and many years experience in strategic and operational leadership at both a board and executive level.

Project Manager – Gippsland Resilience Project

Rod is a strong advocate for rural and regional Gippsland.

Previous roles have involved helping to run a family farming business, and promoting and managing strategic relationships while achieving optimum outcomes in management and stakeholder engagement roles.

Rod has just completed writing the Gippsland Drought Resilience Plan, which aims to empower and enable communities to be better prepared for and able to manage future challenging seasonal conditions.

In his role with F&FG, Rod is implementing a collaborative project, which seeks to facilitate a coordinated approach to building community and business climate resilience.

Regional Drought Resilience Officer

Brodie has a wealth of experience in the horticulture sector, spending almost five years working in the Lindenow Valley in various roles. With an eagerness to support the community with long-term sustainable employment, Brodie then worked within the recruitment industry, matching jobseekers and employers to achieve successful job placement outcomes.

In his current role at Food & Fibre Gippsland, Brodie supports farmers, industry and regional communities in the adoption of strategies and innovation, to improve environmental, social and economic resilience to drought.

Brodie strongly believes that planning and preparation are keys to drought resilience in our communities.

Regional Investment Attraction Project Innovation Broker

Barry has more than 35 years’ experience in the food manufacturing sector, working with food and beverage companies of all sizes to launch, scale up, maintain, and innovate their products and services. In the last 10 years he assisted 200+ companies across the whole food system with projects totalling more than $35M.

Most recently, Barry founded Samvinna to support and build food and beverage manufacturer commercialisation skills, improve operation efficiency and the ability of companies to deliver into the changing marketplace.

As a member of national advisory boards, he has helped coordinate manufacturing capability improvements and collaboration nationally.

Chair

Barry Rogers is the Board Chair, contributing many years of Board, industry, and community experience in the Gippsland region.

Barry is also chair of the Latrobe Youth Space Consortium, and of the board of Baw Baw Communities that Care as well as Chairing Rotary District 9820 Youth Exchange Program Committee. He is a board member of the Baw Baw Latrobe Local Learning and Employment Network, a member of the Warragul Regional College Council, and also of the West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority’s Community Engagement Network committee.

Barry represents Food & Fibre Gippsland on the Gippsland Technical School Committee and the Gippsland High Tech Precinct Project Planning Group.

He is a leadership developer, trainer, and coach – working to support directors, senior managers and community members grow and hone their leadership skills. He’s been a part of the Gippsland Community Leadership Program for over 25 years; a board member/chair, executive director, program manager, and participant: espousing the theme “Growing Gippsland’s Leaders”.

An accredited 5 Behaviours of Cohesive Teams and NLP (Neuro-Linguistics Program ) facilitator, Barry is a lifelong Gippslandian – who is lucky enough to have spent some of his early years in other parts of Victoria before coming home in his early twenties!

Treasurer

Kylie is currently the Executive Officer Rural Financial Counselling Service Gippsland, a position she has held since September 2016. Kylie’s background is in the banking and finance industry as well as various Government Business Enterprises (GBEs).

Kylie has held senior management roles in finance, IT, regulation, compliance and business support services.

Joining the board and taking on the role of Treasurer fulfils Kylie’s desire to be part of something great, connecting with and developing the communities she lives and works in, whilst also giving her an opportunity to use her skills and background to support the board in its governance duties.

Board Member

Michael is an experienced Company Director with over 25 years experience in direct business ownership of major Registered Training Organisations and manufacturing companies. His private RTO, FGM Consultants specialises in delivering nationally accredited qualifications in the meat and food processing industries in Victoria and Queensland as well as conducting extensive pre-employment programs and administers contracts at a state and federal level supporting youth and long term unemployed into jobs.

Born and Bred in Warragul, where his family has been associated with the livestock industry for over 100 years, in his pare time, Michael runs a small beef farming operation in Brandy Creek with a healthy herd of Black Angus cattle.

Board Member

Simon joined the FFG board in November 2021. Co-owner of the iconic Tinamba Hotel, he has a long standing connection to the food and fibre industry via his 20 year career at CHEP Australia. He made the tree change with wife Tania and their teenage children to transition from corporate to business owner life.

Simon is a passionate advocate for Gippsland produce and the region as a whole. At Tinamba Hotel, he is always looking for creative ways to highlight Gippsland produce. Simon plans to continue to connect his network to all members of Food & Fibre Gippsland and support the mission of capacity building, innovation and knowledge sharing.

Outside of work, Simon is committee member with Central Gippsland Tourism, and has 15 years’ experience committee experience in several local sporting organisations.

Board Observer (non voting)

Sara is the Regional Director-Gippsland for Regional Development Victoria. With a demonstrated history of working in government administration, change management and industry transition, Sara brings a diverse range of skills and experience to the board including strategic planning and stakeholder management.

Sara’s achievements include delivering community led results and transforming environments in creative and collaborative ways. A Gippsland local, she believes that country life is the key to happiness; particularly fishing, bushwalking and hitting the alpine slopes in the winter months. When away from the office, Sara is kept busy with the family beef and sheep farm, tending to the veg patch and spending time with her beloved family and friends.

Board Observer (non voting)

Latrobe Valley Authority CEO Chris Buckingham has 15 years of experience as a senior executive across a number of sectors, including state and local government and tourism.

Chris was appointed to the LVA CEO role in early 2022 with a focus on backing more local jobs and driving the economy in the Latrobe Valley. With a proven track record developing and delivering innovative strategies, it is integrity, creativity, excellence, accountability and humour that underpins the way Chris works with others. He delights in enabling people to be their best.

Board Observer (non voting)

Bruce has worked in the agriculture sector for over 35 years with farm management experience in four states and diverse leadership roles in stakeholder collaboration, sustainable farming systems, soil & land resource assessment, environmental research, emergency preparedness & recovery and spatial information systems.

A Gippsland resident for over 25 years, he is passionate about contributing to inclusive regional & community development through place-based policy and services. His recent work has involved agriculture recovery programs (drought, fire, flood, Covid) and he is currently leading the development of a Drought Resilience Plan for Gippsland.

For the last four years he has been the Regional Leader (South East) for Agriculture Victoria based at Ellinbank.

Board Observer (non voting)

Laura Macpherson is an ambitious and dynamic executive leader.

With a domestic and international career spanning Government, top ASX-100 companies, the VET sector, and strategic advisory, Laura has a unique perspective derived from strategic consultancy and strong leadership that ensures solutions are practicable and implemented with skilful guidance.

Now leading TAFE Gippsland, Laura is passionate about continuing and building on the organisation’s proud 85-year history of education and training excellence in the region.

An advocate for end-to-end education and training solutions, Laura is leading her team at the forefront of industry changes and challenges and adapting training to suit industry needs, leading to productive employment outcomes and driving investment throughout Gippsland.

Laura is a change champion who has delivered innovative, impactful and sustainable economic and social outcomes for community and industry stakeholders, and she looks forward to bringing this expertise to the Food and Fibre Gippsland Board.

Details coming soon