EXPERIENCED agribusiness manager Mike Guerin was this morning announced as the new chief executive officer for Queensland’s peak rural industry organisation, AgForce.

Mike Guerin

A senior executive with experience working with major corporations, running large farming operations, advancing agricultural research and increasing international trade, Mr Guerin started in his new role this morning. he arguably has the strongest business credentials of any AgForce chief executive since the multi-commodity representative body came into being in 1999.

AgForce general president Grant Maudsley said Mr Guerin had held numerous senior executive roles in large corporations throughout this career, including regional and rural banking managing director at ANZ, and managing director and chief operating officer at Elders.

“For the past two and a half years, Mike has been working in a trade role for the South Australian Government as South East Asia director, while he has also been a Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation director, and served as CEO for the Northern Australia Cooperative Research Centre bid team,” Mr Maudsley said.

“With a farming background and significant executive experience, Mike brings a unique combination to AgForce and we are pleased to have someone of his calibre as our new CEO.”

Mr Guerin said there had never been a more critical time for Australian agriculture and he was looking forward to the opportunity to lead Queensland’s peak industry organisation.

“With demand for Australia’s high quality food and fibre growing, I look forward to doing my bit to drive the continued profitability, productivity and sustainability of Queensland’s agricultural sector,” he said.

Mr Maudsley said with a State election looming, AgForce would be highlighting to politicians and voters the importance of agriculture to Queensland’s economy, and to the social fabric of regional and rural communities.

“AgForce believes Queensland agriculture has an extremely bright future, but we need governments to adopt the right policy settings so farmers can get on with the job of feeding our state, our country and consumers in many nations across the world,” he said.

AgForce represents the interests of Queensland’s beef, sheep & wool and grains industries.

Source: AgForce