Speakers

Jack is part of the fifth generation on his family’s merino sheep and cereal cropping property at Narrandera NSW. He holds a Bachelor of Laws and is a Solicitor at Farrell Goode, a rural-based law firm with a strong focus on commercial law and farm transition planning. Jack is also a Director and the current Chair of Narrandera District Investments Limited, the operating company of Bendigo Bank Narrandera & District.

Jack is passionate about rural and regional Australia and what it has to offer for the next generation.

Dr Jana Phan is committed to harnessing scientific advancements for meaningful change. Formally trained as a researcher with experience in science-policy, she is currently the Director for Stewardship and Sustainability Policy at CropLife Australia. In this role she manages and develops a wide variety of stewardship initiatives aimed at promoting the responsible and sustainable use of products of the plant science industry.

A recipient of a Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) Post-graduate Scholarship, Dr Phan pursued her doctoral studies in agricultural and plant science at the University of Adelaide. Transitioning from research to policy, she has collaborated with interdisciplinary teams at both national and international levels. Her expertise lies in synthesising, analysing, and crafting evidence-informed policy that drive impactful outcomes.

Kelsey founded Bass Capital a traditional search fund in 2024. Her funded is focused on sourcing SMEs in the Australian market who do not have a designated successor and are looking at exit opportunities. Kelsey is a charted accountant, holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and an MBA from IESE University of Navarra. She recently returned to Australia after seven years working in Europe in the Fine Art Industry and consulted to the Banking sector.

Kelsey’s family live on a small cattle farm in Victoria and she is an avid Rugby Union fan.

As GRDC’s Senior Regional Manager – North, Gillian’s role revolves firmly around strengthening GRDC’s innovation RDE pipeline, through making connections and establishing collaborative and strong relationships with GRDC’s research partners and industry stakeholders. She leads GRDC’s Northern Grower and Stakeholder Engagement team and supports the Northern Regional Panel in their role as advisers to GRDC’s RDE portfolio, always working to ensure investment is grower directed and meets need. Gillian is a forward-thinking and leader that drives a positive innovation culture through a consultative communication style. In her role she is well placed to provide stakeholders with insight into GRDC’s current portfolio and opportunities for future partnership. She lists her favourite professional skill as “finding linkages where there are seemingly none and supporting and mentoring early career professionals.”

Lisa is a force of nature. A vibrant and powerful speaker and world record holding sailor. In 2017, Lisa Blair made history. Just seven years after discovering sailing at the age of 25, Lisa became the first woman to sail solo around Antarctica with only one stop. After surviving a dramatic dismasting at sea, Lisa demonstrated her resilience and determination. An extraordinary feat aboard her yacht named Climate Action Now. This symbolic name reflected her commitment to a sustainable future and inspired others to take action through her post-it note campaign.

On May 25th, 2022, Lisa achieved her latest milestone by becoming the fastest person to sail solo, non-stop, and unassisted around Antarctica, shaving 10 days off the previous record.

Lisa has sailed over 110,000 nm and holds an RYA Yacht Master offshore. Lisa is a proud Australian adventurer, Author of Facing Fear, and Speaker on Resilience and Mental Agility. As a passionate Climate Activist she continues to develop projects that allow her to further her sustainability work while inspiring future generations to take on Climate Action Now.

Luciano Mesiti has been the CEO of Primary Industries Education Foundation Australia (PIEFA) since 2020. PIEFA’s aim is to develop, promote and advocate for food and fibre education in schools nationally, through the support of industry research and development corporations. Prior to his appointment he was a high school teacher, teaching agriculture, and design and technology, and president of the NSW Agriculture Teachers Association. Luciano has extensive experience in curriculum development in food and fibre and technology and is very passionate about helping schools and teachers to integrate food and fibre into their programs and increase interest in careers in food, fibre and agriculture.

Lucy is a professional storyteller and master of stakeholders. She draws on her experience working across media, government, and industry to be a passionate advocate for the Australian ag industry.

Lucy leads the Communications team for Nutrien Ag Solutions, one of the world’s largest providers of ag inputs and services. In her role she is responsible for public relations, brand management, stakeholder engagement, crisis communications, and other strategic communications activities.

Lucy believes your personal brand is key to the success of any professional or personal pursuit and says this quote sums it up nicely:

“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, and how you leave others feeling after an experience becomes your trademark” – Jay Danzie.

Also describing herself as a ‘marriage-maker’, Lucy spends weekends across the country as a Commonwealth Registered Marriage Celebrant.

Raised in the suburbs of Wollongong, NSW, Lucy's career has led her from coast to capital, to country. From her first job in a local butcher shop, to the diverse roles with industry, government and NGOs, Lucy’s experiences in the ag sector are as remarkable and inspiring as the individuals she’s worked with along the way.

Currently pursuing her PhD with the Australian National Centre for the Public Awareness of Science, the ANU Research School of Biology and the ARC for Accelerated Future Crops Development, Lucy is exploring the 'promise' of agricultural biotechnology by investigating the dynamics between actors and the assumptions that shape technology development and drive innovation processes. She is particularly interested in the role that scientists play in conditioning knowledge production and discourse, which in turn influences how we come to define problems, justify interventions, and speculate about the future of agriculture and food systems.

Lucy’s previous work spanned industry development, operations management, policy research, advocacy, and technical advisory for organisations such as The Australian Farm Institute, GrainGrowers, CropLife Australia, and Kalyx Australia.

Beyond her academic pursuits, Lucy is dedicated to connecting those interested in working in and with the agriculture sector. She continues to support the next generation of agricultural leaders through her role as a sessional academic and tutor in Sustainable Agricultural Systems at ANU, and through her connection to the Agrifood Innovation Institute.

Responsible for the execution of the John Deere Precision Ag strategy for John Deere, Max’s role focuses on customer adoption and utilisation of technology in the Australian and New Zealand markets.

Starting his career with John Deere as part of the Graduate Program in January 2016 he has held roles as Solutions Specialist, Harvesting Product Specialist and Territory Business Manager, working across a wide range of products and technology.

With a strong family connection to cropping and a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting, Max’s passion and enthusiasm for the industry is born from his early involvement in agriculture.

Rebecca is Head of Commercial Sustainability for Nutrien Ag Solutions.

Rebecca has over 20 years’ experience in Australian agribusiness, starting her career as an agronomist and having since held various senior commercial agribusiness roles, including as the National Seed Manager for Nutrien.

Rebecca holds a Master of Agriculture and a Graduate Certificate in Commerce and has completed the Leading Sustainable Corporations course through Oxford University. Rebecca is also a graduate from the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a current director of AuctionsPlus and Landcare Australia.

In her role as Head of Commercial Sustainability for Nutrien Ag Solutions, Rebecca and the team are working with their farming customers to not only improve their on-farm sustainability metrics but also to increase farm productivity and profitability.

Shane
Webcke
is
a
farmer,
family
man, businessman,
author,
news
presenter, safety
ambassador,
speaker
and
former professional
footballer.
At
the
peak
of his
rugby
league
career
he
was renowned
as
one
of
the
best
front rowers
in
the
world.

Shane
represented
Queensland
on
24 occasions
and
represented
Australia
in 26
tests
he
played
for
the
Brisbane Broncos
for
12
years
and
was
named
the Daly
M
Prop
of
the
Year
3
times. Shane
has
taken
his
work
ethic
from
the football
field
to
his
farm
in
Southern Queensland.
He
balances
family
life
with his
wife
and
3
children,
with
his professional
career
behind
the
news desk
at
Seven. Shane
released
his
bestselling autobiography
'Warhorse'
in
2006
and has
since
gone
to
add
to
his
illustrious career
by
sharing
his
knowledge passion
and
experience
with
many audiences
across
Queensland
and Australia
as
a
professional
speaker.

Tragically
Shane's
father
was
killed
in
a Queensland
workplace
incident
in
1994. Shane
was
only
18.
He
had
just
started his
professional
football
career
under the
guidance
of
Wayne
Bennett
when he
received
the
news
that
his
world
had been
ripped
apart.
Shane's
direct experience
with
the
horrific
outcome
of his
father's
workplace
fatality
has
led him
to
his
role
as
a
safety
ambassador. He
shares
his
message
in
the
hope
it will
motivate
others
to
put
safety
first, always. Shane
Webcke
is
still
a
Bronco
through and
through
and
has
a
few
tales
to
tell about
football
life,
retirement, managing
a
farm
through
drought,
and remaining
grounded
through
it
all.

Tegan is a Co-founder and COO of one of Australia’s fastest growing agritech companies, Loam Bio, which was founded in 2019 and now has over 70 team members across offices and labs in Australia, Canada, and the US.

Starting her career in farming on the family property at Bogan Gate, NSW, Tegan has qualifications and experience in agricultural sciences. In her role at Loam, she has built one of Australia’s largest microbial product development teams - including establishing global R&D programs, specialist soil analysis laboratories and an international microbial library boasting over 2,500 strains of fungi.

Tegan and the Loam team explore how the world’s smallest organisms - microbes - can solve the world’s biggest problems and have developed ground-breaking microbial products that enable farmers to build significant levels of soil carbon in cropping systems.

Connecting world-class microbiologists with real-world farming challenges, Tegan is a leader in agritech driving high-impact solutions for farming systems and climate change.

Shona is GrainGrowers' CEO. Shona has over 20 years of experience working in the areas of marketing, communications, membership services, media and public relations.

Shona's experience includes roles in Australia and the United Kingdom, working on projects that have spanned digital technology, infrastructure, the charity sector and industry associations.

Passionate about local communities and the champions who make them special, Shona loves being a part of the team that gets to share the stories and experiences of growers across the country.

Sarah is the Acting General Manager, Major Projects at GrainGrowers. She has worked in manufacturing, technical research, innovation, market research and sustainability over the course of her career in the Australian food and agriculture industry. Before coming to GrainGrowers, Sarah led the development, launch and management of the world-first Sheep Sustainability Framework. Sarah has qualifications Applied Chemistry, Cereal Chemistry and Sustainability.

Rhys Turton is a grain grower from York, Western Australia where he grows a range of crops including cereals, pulses, canola and hay. Rhys is a grower director of GrainGrowers. Rhys has worked in agricultural organisations both in Australia and internationally, giving him a thorough understanding of international trade and market access.

Zach is the General Manager, Policy and Advocacy at GrainGrowers. He manages GrainGrowers’ policy and advocacy efforts working to ensure the right policy settings for Australia’s grain growers. Previously, Zach has worked for the Department of Agriculture and most recently was the Grains Policy Director at AgForce Queensland Farmers. He has qualifications in International Relations and Public Policy and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Zach is from Merriwa in rural New South Wales, where his family remains involved in agriculture.