GrainGrowers’ Board

A grain grower at Mallala, SA, Richard produces a wide variety of cereals, pulses and oilseeds. Richard served for six years on the Advisory Board of Agriculture, and seven years on the GRDC’s Southern Panel which included the Plant Biosecurity Cooperative Research Centre, Grains Advisory Panel. He was also a non-executive director and Chair of the Australian Grain Growers Co-op board and has served on the Rural Business Support Board since 2019.

Richard has experience in corporate governance, strategic and business planning, financial management and planning, implementation and project planning and oversight and graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors in 2015.

Julia Hausler is a grower director of GrainGrowers, and operates a successful family farming operation in Victoria’s Wimmera region which is annually benchmarked. Julia is an engaged and effective Board Director of GrainGrowers and is the Chair of GrainGrowers People and Culture Committee. In her tenure on the Board, Julia has positively contributed to governance standards, a refreshed strategy, investment portfolio growth, and has represented GrainGrowers nationally and internationally.

Julia has recently joined the Grains Australia Pulse Council and is on the Australian Institute of Company Directors Grampians Regional Advisory Forum. In addition to this, Julia is also a Director on Wimmera Southern Mallee Development Board to advocate for economic and social opportunities for her region. Julia brings is highly strategic bringing 25 years’ experience in agriculture alongside expertise in marketing, accumulation, education, financing, and rural policy as an excellent basis for her board work.

Nigel is a fourth-generation farmer from Goondiwindi QLD with over 20 years’ of farming and business management experience, and is the Managing Director of New Leaf Ag Pty Ltd, a family owned food and fibre company. Nigel is a GrainGrowers Director for the Northern Region and sits as the chair of GrainGrowers’ Grains Sustainability Steering committee, and Audit and Risk committee.

With a Bachelor of Applied Science Agronomy from the University of Queensland, Nigel’s work across agriculture has been recognised as Australian Cotton Grower of the Year and ABC Rural Australian Young Farmer of the Year. Nigel also received a Nuffield Scholarship. Nigel currently sits on the board of both Cotton Seed Distributors and Ability Agriculture.

Ian is a grower director, a second-generation grain grower in northwest NSW.

Ian has over 25 years’ experience in the grains industry and has been a part of GrainGrowers National Policy Group, president of Dryland Cotton Research Association since its inception in 2014, and heavily involved in the Northern Grower Alliance establishment.

Having worked across many areas of the grains industry including research, production, transport, and marketing, Ian has had the chance to view the industry from many different perspectives.

Ashleigh Brooks operates a broadacre cropping business in the Wimmera, Victoria, growing canola and pulses.

Outside of the farm, Ash has worked in the grains industry for almost 20 years, including national marketing and strategy positions, and values the importance of industry research and development. Supply chain engagement has also been integral within these roles, and through these experiences, Ash has developed effective agronomic, marketing, market development, strategy, and governance skills.

Ash is also a Grains Councillor at Victorian Farmers Federation (West Wimmera Representative), former Treasurer at South-East Australian Barley Advisory Council and former Director at the Rural Financial Counselling Service – Victoria West.

Ash holds a Bachelor of Science in Agriculture (Hons) degree, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Course and the 2021 GrainGrowers inaugural OnBoard program.

Richard has 30 years of experience in agriculture having worked for listed companies in North American and Australia. Richard is the former MD of Agrium (Nutrien Ag Solutions) and Meat & Livestock Australia as well as the Head of Retail at Elders Rural.

Richard’s executive experience encompasses retail, innovation, logistics, marketing, and agribusiness. He holds the position of Managing Director at Food Agility Consultancy, a leading research and development organisation dedicated to pioneering data-driven technologies within the Australian agri-food industry.

Richard has been pivotal in spearheading and contributing to numerous projects involving ASX-listed companies, global agri-food enterprises, technology firms, financial institutions, government bodies, regulatory agencies, and esteemed research institutions.

Richard’s expertise extends to global retail value chains, marketing and manufacturing systems, and cutting-edge data and digital technologies, including AI, robotics, blockchain, sensors, and advanced data analytics. He is currently an NED of Terragen (ASX listed), Australasian Global Exports, PrimeSafe and FarmGate