Ben Bennett named President, David Beca is Independent Director
Victorian dairy farmer Ben Bennett was appointed President of Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) and Chair of the ADF Board, at a meeting of the ADF Board and National Council today.
Mr Bennett has been a director of the ADF Board for the past two years. He farms in south west Victoria and has 13 years’ experience in management roles in the meat industry in Australia, New Zealand and India.
“As President, I fully realise there are challenges ahead for the dairy industry,” Mr Bennett said.
Mr Bennett paid tribute to outgoing President Rick Gladigau, who withdrew his nomination. Mr Gladigau will remain on the Board as a Business Director after serving as President for the past two years.
“The past 12 months has been very busy for ADF with lots of change and big issues to tackle. Rick’s stoic leadership with Trade Minister Don Farrell around the free trade agreement with the European Union helped Australian dairy double down on its long-held position on the deal.”
Mr Bennett welcomed the new directors to the ADF Board, Queensland dairy farmer and past President of eastAUSmilk, Matt Trace, who was elected at the ADF AGM, and Independent Director David Beca, who was appointed to fill the casual vacancy.
“Matt Trace is well versed in the regulatory and economic challenges facing dairy farmers, and is passionate about reform in the industry,” said Mr Bennett.
“David Beca is no stranger to the dairy industry, having an extensive dairy consulting business focusing on profitability in Australia and New Zealand. David is exposed to the full plethora of dairy farming systems, from pasture only to total mixed ration.”
Mr Bennett thanked Independent Director Andreas Clark and Business Director Brian Tessman, who left the Board at the AGM, for their service, and Heath Cook for serving as acting President and Chair of the Board since the AGM.
The ADF Board now comprises:
Rick Gladigau, South Australia (Business Director)
Ben Bennett, Victoria (Chair, Business Director)
Matthew Trace, Queensland (Business Director)
Heath Cook, New South Wales (Business Director)
David Beca, Victoria (Independent Director)
Australian Dairy Farmers, 12 December 2023.
Member Update: Changes to ADF Board
ADF defers President election
Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) held its annual meeting on Friday 1st December, to elect a President of the ADF Board and National Council.
Two nominees were received for existing Board members Ben Bennett and Rick Gladigau. Voting was conducted by an independent voting manager and returning officer from Vero Voting.
After presentations by both candidates, the voting resulted in a deadlocked position.
Given the seriousness with which ADF takes the appointment of its President and Chair, ADF Board and National Council have deferred voting until a later date (to be confirmed).
Deputy President Heath Cook is Acting President and Chair of ADF.
ADF calls for expressions of interest for Independent Director
Australian Dairy Farmers (ADF) is calling for expressions of interest to fill a casual vacancy position on the Board of Independent Director.
ADF is seeking to appoint a highly experienced director who brings outstanding governance experience in the not-for-profit space; broad networks beyond the dairy industry and one who has networks and insight to government and the agricultural policy environment.
The appointment will be made by the Directors of the ADF Board, prior to Tuesday, 12 December 2023.
The position is being advertised here: https://www.governanceinstitute.com.au/membership/member-benefits/career-opportunities/current-paid-opportunities
Boardroom rebels
NSW farmer and NORCO director Heath Cook, who milks a 320-cow herd at Dorrigo, along with South West Victorian self-proclaimed outsider Ben Bennett, were elected to the Australian Dairy Farmer Board last week.
Both men say they want to bring greater transparency to ADF, which has been widely criticised in recent years for initially opposing the introduction of a mandatory dairy code, undermining attempts to establish a benchmarked milk price index and then supporting an Australian Dairy Plan that has hit a dead end.
“It’s a generational change,” Mr Bennett said.
“We’ve made it very clear this (being elected) is about making sure grassroots farmers’ voices are heard.”
Mr Bennett was widely regarded as an outside chance for a seat on the board, but quietly worked away in the back- ground during recent months to recruit new ADF members and the votes he needed to get across the line.
Mr Cook said the biggest issue the industry faced was re-building unity and proving the value of ADF. “There’s a lack of farmer engagement, with 90 per cent seeing us as irrelevant,” he said
Mr Cook’s strength of conviction even led him to resign from the Dairy Levy Poll Advisory Committee, after a majority of its members refused to give farmers the right to vote for a reduction in the $32 million, they pay their national research, development and marketing body each year — Dairy Australia.
Mr Bennett has also argued “farmers should be given choice”, while personally supporting an increase in the DA levy.
Both men have extensive commercial backgrounds.
While Mr Bennett is widely known for his colourful sense of humour in his role as United Dairyfarmers of Victoria Corangamite chairman, he points out that both he and Mr Cook bring plenty of commercial nous to their new ADF roles.
Mr Bennett has graduate and post graduate qualifications from New Zealand’s Massey University, developed meat industry training pro- grams and worked in technical, consultancy and managerial roles in New Zealand, Australian and even an Indian (buffalo) meat works.
Mr Cook brings almost 20 years’ experience as a technician, engineer and mine manager responsible for up to 250 employees and budgets of up to $250m in the Australian gold processing sector to the ADF role, before turning to dairying in 2007.
The ADF’s new chairman Rick Gladigau, who has been on the board since 2019, said: “If you think you’re going to change the world by getting on to the board, (then) you haven’t been on a board before.”
Mr Gladigau is a fifth-generation dairy farmer in the Adelaide Hills, milking about 90 cows. He left school 40 years ago to come back to his parent’s property, before buying his own place in 1993.
As for the future, Mr Gladigau said climate change, labour shortages and how to more effectively manage bobby calves were key issues the ADF needed to pursue.
A controversial resolution by some ADF board members to block NSW rivals from registering to vote at future annual general meetings was lost. The resolution would have amended ADF’s constitution to demand in the future farmers could only register to vote if they joined the recognised state body in which they operated, excluding rivals’ groups from joining the national lobby group.