IN A series of personnel changes within Meat & Livestock Australia’s ranks, chief analyst Ben Thomas will move into a new role in the MLA Donor Company, and a new appointment made to head the market intelligence team.

The changes come as MLA expands its global data collection, reporting and analysis capabilities.

MLA analyst Ben Thomas, pictured presenting at a producer workshop in Rockhampton, takes a new role within the MLA donor company

MLA recently announced the allocation of more resources dedicated to the key program areas of global market access and market insights. Under these enhancements, Natalie Isaac has taken on the role of global manager for industry insights and strategy.

The global industry insights and strategy team will consist of three core functions – data intelligence, global insights and market intelligence. Combined, this team is responsible for collecting, collating and analysing market information & intelligence and producing market and consumer insights to inform MLA and industry strategy.

The market intelligence team will lead the collation of all data sources to inform strategy and will be headed up by new recruit Scott Tolmie, who will start with MLA in late August. Mr Tolmie’s appointment follows the recent move by Ben Thomas, MLA’s manager of market information, to a new role as manager, industry co-innovation with the MDC.

Mr Thomas has done an impressive job as chief analyst with MLA over the past three years, since taking over the role from Tim McRae, speaking at countless producer gatherings as MLA’s ‘public face’ of market intelligence from one end of the country to the other.

His replacement, Scott Tolmie, has significant commercial and macro-economic analysis experience across supply chain, new product development, financial reporting, competitor and strategy areas.  In addition, he has led category management strategy within a number of large Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) businesses across brands including Aptamil, Karicare, Fanta, Sprite, Coca Cola, Mount Franklin and Telstra.

The market intelligence team will focus on integrating both supply data and drivers (from the data intelligence team) and demand data and drivers (from the global intelligence team) to inform MLA and industry strategy. This team will also focus on increased industry adoption.

Having attended an agricultural high school, Mr Tolmie is a graduate in accounting, majoring in international business, leaving him well qualified to lead the market intelligence team.

Damon Holmes

In other personnel changes, MLA’s data intelligence team will be headed up by Damon Holmes, currently National Livestock Reporting Service operations manager, who will expand his responsibilities to lead the collection and management of market data and statistics, including management of NLRS. The team will continue to drive data collection automation projects, building on the significant progress made over the past 12 months.

MLA’s global insights team will continue to be headed up by Andrew Price, and is the central source for consumer, shopper and customer insights. This team will continue to focus on improving analysis of existing data sources and driving increased industry adoption.

Global manager for industry insights and strategy Natalie Isaac, said these changes would assist MLA to enhance and improve its market reporting and market insights, including further enhancements of MLA’s prices and markets reports to increase both the type and speed of available data while allowing users to better customise reports and undertake analysis.

“We’re excited to welcome Scott to the MLA team given his significant commercial and macro-economic analysis experience,” she said.

Key projects for MLA’s global industry insights and strategy team in the year ahead include:

• Increased automation of data warehousing to allow for increased data analysis
• New and improved insight reports to assist levy payers with the development of business strategy
• An expanded global consumer survey covering ten markets that measures consumer awareness, consumption and attitudes towards Australian beef and lamb versus other imports and popular proteins
• Increased understanding of the food-service channel across ten markets, providing valuable insights into where consumers purchase premium beef and lamb.