The Australian Agricultural Co has further lightened its operational management ranks, following the sudden departure on Friday of Michael Spencer, the company’s general manager of Queensland operations.

His departure follows that of fellow senior manager Troy Setter, who finishes up as AA Co’s chief operating officer around mid-year to take up the same position at Consolidated Pastoral Co (see Beef Central’s earlier item here: "Leaner management profile ahead at AA Co, as Setter heads for CPC.")

AA Co chose not to comment about the significance of Mr Spencer’s departure when approached this morning by Beef Central, but denied that the move, together with Mr Setter’s departure, left the company ‘light-on’ for operational management experience. Contrary to one rumour, there has been no external appointment made to fill the void left by Mr Setter’s resignation.

It is understood that a ‘realignment’ of existing AA Co management staff will be made on a supply chain basis. The company is holding a station managers' annual conference in Brisbane immediately after this week's NTCA conference in Darwin.

Mr Spencer joined AA Co in mid-2010. As general manager, Queensland, he was responsible for the company’s breeding and backgrounding stations in the Gulf region, grass-finishing enterprises in the Channel Country and managing AA Co's external grassfed cattle sales program and cattle purchases.

He also managed AA Co's breeder alliance and calf buyback programs, while they operated.

Prior to joining AA Co he spent 15 years at Elders as a key account manager, branch manager and senior livestock salesman.

He also spent four years as operations manager for Sandy Munro and family’s Norland Pastoral Co, a family business with grazing interests in NSW, QLD and the NT as well as cotton, cereal grains and soya beans.