Beef Central publishes an occasional summary of appointments, departures and achievements occurring across the red meat and livestock supply chain. Send details for entries to admin@beefcentral.com

• Michael Finucan joins NAPCo in meat marketing management role
• Casino chairman passes
• New look Markets Information team at MLA
• Other MLA appointments, departures
• Transition on Livecorp board as Prue Bondfield steps down
• Austrade veteran on secondment to AMIC
• New valuation path for Doug Knight
• New business for former Dalby property agent
• Leadership changes at Bentleys
• Progressive farm operators saluted for land stewardship
• Vale Angus matriarch, Joan Woodruff

Michael Finucan joins NAPCo in meat sales/marketing management role

Experienced branded beef marketing manager Michael Finucan has joined the North Australian Pastoral Co in a meat sales and marketing management role.

Michael Finucan presenting to the grainfed beef symposium in Toowoomba.

Mr Finucan worked for the past seven years with JBS Australia, most recently as general manager of marketing and innovation, responsible for red meat brand development and execution. Prior to that he spent 12 years with Meat & Livestock Australia, including lengthy stints as general manager of international markets.

NAPCo operates a fully-integrated supply chain breeding and growing its own cattle, before grainfeeding at the company’s Wainui feedlot near Bowenville on Queensland’s Darling Downs. A portion of the turnoff is carried through to NAPCo’s own commercial brands, including the successful Five Founders low carbon brand program.

As reported in our previous POTM column, James Carson – NAPCo’s general manager of intensive production and sales – has stepped into the role of interim chief executive officer, following Allan Cooney’s departure.

NAPCo is currently working through a process to make a permanent CEO appointment.

Casino chairman passes

The former chairman of the Casino Food Co beef processing business in Northern NSW, Frank Hannigan, passed away last month after an illness.

A well known retired Casino Lawyer, Mr Hannigan’s family has run cattle in the region for decades, including the Franco Hereford Stud established in the 1980s. The family’s Avoca Vale Farms west of Casino is currently listed for sale. 

He became Casino Food Co chairman in early 2025, having advised the board professionally prior to that.

Mr Hannigan played an instrumental role in guiding the former farmer cooperative into more modern and appropriate corporate business structure, achieved last year. He was only the tenth chairman in Casino’s 93-year history.

New look Markets Information team at MLA

Industry service delivery company Meat & Livestock Australia has made a series of staff appointments, following transition in the ranks in the Markets Information unit.

There’s been a series of departures from the unit recently, including markets information manager Stephen Bignell, global markets analyst Tim Jackson, and analysts Erin Lukey and Emily Tan.

Stuart Bull, who previously acted as MLA’s southern livestock adoption project manager, has started in his new role as Market Information Manager. He leads the new-look team now including:

• Emiliano Diaz, Senior Market Information analyst
• Alex Fry, Market Information analyst, and
• Natalie Bowles, global supply analyst.

Steph Pitt works alongside the markets information team as NLRS Manager.

Other MLA appointments, departures

Tony Batterham

In other recent MLA staff changes, well-known cattle veterinarian Dr Tony Batterham started on Monday as the Project Manager for MLA’s feedlot research, development and adoption program, based in North Sydney.

Dr Batterham was previously the business manager for intensive and feedlots with veterinary conglomerate Apiam Animal Health, having earlier practised as a cattle vet in Quirindi for 13 years.

Meanwhile Samantha Jamieson, a much-loved and greatly experienced member of MLA operations team for the past 35 years, called time on her career at MLA last week, electing to take a gap year to follow her passion for travel.

Her departure announcement from the industry service delivery company brought on an avalanche of well-wishers via Linkedin this week wanting to thank her for her industry contribution.  https://www.linkedin.com/in/samantha-jamieson-935352b/

A fluent Japanese linguist, Sam was regional manager for MLA Japan from 2001-2009, during a critical period in the post market liberalisation period, before returning to senior operations roles in in Australia – mostly in community and stakeholder relations, collaborative marketing and global insights and strategy.

A popular and effective member of the MLA team, Sam will be sorely missed.

She ranked as one of only a handful of MLA staff that could trace their origins all the way back to the Australian Meat & Livestock Corporation days, ending in 1997. Others on that list include Bruce Blades, Office Service Assistant, Shuichi Kitano, Senior Manager Retail & Trade for MLA in Japan, and Heidi Brunker, Content Manager, Community Communications.

“Throughout her tenure, Sam made a significant contribution across marketing, communications and stakeholder engagement, leading initiatives that have delivered lasting benefits for Australia’s red meat industry,” MLA wrote in a tribute.

“Her achievements include establishing enduring consumer and community insights programs, strengthening marketing partnerships, and helping create industry-leading communications platforms such as Target 100 and Australian Good Meat.”

“MLA sincerely thanks Sam for her dedication, leadership and service, and wishes her every success in her future endeavours.”

Transition on Livecorp board as Prue Bondfield steps down

There will be transition on the Livecorp board later this year, as Prue Bondfield finishes her current term as a board director at the body’s annual general meeting in November.

Prue Bondfield

Mrs Bondfield has served the past six years on the board. Beyond her family’s beef industry interests, she has a background as a solicitor and securities advisor and is an experienced board director as well as industry and government advisory committee member.

She is currently a Director of the Regional Investment Corporation, sits on the judging panel of the Zanda McDonald Award, and involved in numerous industry mentoring programs. She chaired the Steering Group appointed to develop the industry’s Beef Sustainability Framework.

“It has been an honour to serve on the Livecorp board for the past six years with such highly engaged and skilled directors shaping the long-term sustainability of one of our most strategic and significant livestock supply chains,” she said.

“Livecorp RD&E projects have positioned Australia as a leader in live export animal welfare and traceability, been responsible for protocols in current and emerging export markets, and contributed directly to global food security. The opportunity to influence these outcomes has been extremely rewarding.”

Livecorp has started an awareness campaign seeking applications from people interested in being a non-executive director. The closing date is 4 August. Details about the role, required skills and how to apply can be read here. 

Are you recruiting for a senior or middle management or operations role in your red meat supply chain business? Beef Central’s AgJobs Central recruitment platform is a highly-targeted channel to promote your position to a large, highly-engaged industry audience. Job listings cost just $195+GST, and remain active for four weeks, or until you tell us the job is filled. New listings are promoted each week through of regular Friday recruitment article. Click here for details.  

Austrade veteran on secondment to AMIC

Kevin Norman, who has been working with the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) for the past five years, recently commenced a 12-month secondment with the Australian Meat Industry Council.

Kevin Norman

Mr Norman’s secondment is under the Australian Government’s Accessing New Markets Initiative (ANMI) which is supporting peak industry bodies to develop new market opportunities for their members, in response to recent Trade disruptions including the US Liberation Day Tariffs, the war in the Middle East and China’s Beef Safeguards. He is working as Trade Diversification Manager with AMIC, and is a member of the Beef Australia International Committee for Beef Week 2027.

During his recent career at Austrade Mr Norman was Sector Lead for Meat and Livestock and Wool. He has worked across many agricultural sectors and started his career in Qld DPI working across the cropping and grazing systems in North Queensland.

New valuation path for Doug Knight

Well known rural property valuer Doug Knight is transitioning into a new role this month as Quality Director – Agribusiness with Herron Todd White.

The role will broadly involve a combination of quality assurance of rural valuation reports together with guidance and support to the younger staff within the HTW agri-group. A 40-year veteran of the property valuations field, he had worked for the past eight years with JLL as director, agribusiness valuations & advisory.

New business for former Dalby property agent

After 22 years as a rural property real estate agent with a national agriculture supply company, Dalby-based Ross Murray has taken the opportunity to branch out on his own, establishing Ross Murray Rural.

Mr Murray will continue to service Dalby and the surrounding areas, as well as Queensland’s Western Downs region.

Having specialised in both farming and grazing property sales, he said he has gained a thorough knowledge of the requirements involved in purchasing and selling a range of rural enterprises. More recently, he has developed a thorough understanding of the marketing of timbered grazing country and its limitations since the introduction of land clearing requirements in relation to Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) legislation.

Mr Murray said he is ready to discuss the implications and consequences of purchasing grazing country with standing timber, along with the associated risks and rewards.

“I am looking forward to extending existing relationships and fostering new ones through my continued involvement in rural property, farm clearing sales and associated interests,” he said.

Leadership changes at Bentleys

Ben Cameron Bentleys

After 17 years as managing partner with Brisbane’s bush accountants, Bentleys Queensland, Ben Cameron will step back from the role and hand the baton on to the next generation of leaders.

Stepping into the managing partners’ roles will be Tina Kiernan and Andrew Keily. Both Tina and Andrew began their careers with Bentleys as graduates.

Since first taking on the role in 2009, Ben Cameron has led the firm through a period of significant growth, change and investment. Bentleys Queensland has grown three-fold in size over the period, broadened its service offering and strengthened the systems, technology and infrastructure that support our people and clients.

He will continue as a partner in Bentleys Business Services team.

Progressive farm operators saluted for land stewardship

Two progressive Australian farm operators have received the inaugural Rabobank Land Stewardship Awards.

Queensland cattle producer Ardie Lord and New South Wales mixed farmer Danny Flanery have been named inaugural recipients of the award, recognising farmers who are “putting thoughtful, practical land stewardship into action to strengthen their farm business operations while aiming to deliver environmental benefits.”

Rabobank Australia group executive Country Banking Marcel van Doremaele said both inaugural winners had distinguished themselves with “their progressive approach to caring for their land while contributing to a strong, productive and sustainable agricultural sector.”

Danny Flanery

“Both Danny and Ardie have successfully demonstrated they have put in place very practical actions that strengthen the long-term performance of their businesses and the health of the land they manage,” he said.

Mr Flanery, who runs a third-generation mixed grazing and cropping operation ‘Boorowa Flats’ at Galong in southern NSW, has focused on long-term landscape repair through tree planting, creek protection and adaptive grazing management.  This followed a chance helicopter joy flight above his family farming property in 1990s, where he saw first-hand the impacts of many years of overgrazing on the land quality.

“I thought those things need to be addressed or we won’t be here in five years time,” he said.

Mr Lord – who runs large beef operation Lord Pastoral Group, based in Richmond, Queensland – was a prime example of how the health of the land underpinned the entire philosophy of the business.

“Operating at scale across north-western Queensland, Lord Pastoral Group demonstrates how grazing management, water infrastructure and technology can be applied to improve landscape function and resilience in pastoral systems,” Mr van Doremaele he said.

“Ardie and his business’s approach – with its long-term focus on managing grazing pressure to improve land condition, lifting herd productivity and strong livestock management and handling practices – highlights how large-scale operations can integrate productivity, people and environmental stewardship across highly variable environments.”

Mr Lord said while every landscape in Lord Pastoral’s operations had a different approach, the key learnings were very similar – “making a landscape healthier, keeping water on our land, having more complex ecosystems with more perennial plants and deeper rooted plants and then having animals that are highly adapted and fertile and productive to utilise it.”

He said the approaches put into place were “really simple things, but they’re big for the economics of an operation.”

“It’s sustainability in any business, which it’s about growth and it’s about profitability.  There’s no sustainability in a broke business and there’s no succession in a business that isn’t growing,” he said.

This year’s winners were chosen from a field of 40 candidatess – and a shortlist of six – from across the country. Both winners receive a place in the Rabobank Executive Development Program, a prestigious trans-Tasman course developed for progressive farmers to build their strategic planning capabilities and commercial management skills to assist in business growth (individually valued at $16,500).

Vale Joan Woodruff

One of the matriachs of the Australian Angus seedstock industry, Joan Woodruff passed away last month, aged 89.

The former co-principal of Witherswood Angus Stud near in Taminick, Victoria, Joan, alongside her husband John, dedicated three decades to building the Angus brand into one of the most celebrated breeding operations in the country.

Her keen eye for genetics, hands-on involvement, and passion for the Angus breed was central to the stud’s stellar reputation and success in helping to propel Angus to the top of its game.

A defining chapter in her agricultural journey occurred in 2015 when Witherswood made Australian agricultural history as part of a consortium that paid a then-record $150,000 for the Angus bull, Kingdom K35.

Beyond the record-breaking sales and prestigious Beef Week showings, Joan was deeply respected for her uncompromising commitment to cattle fertility, structure, and temperament.

In 2019, after a celebrated 25-year career, Joan and her husband bid adieu to the land, they loved at the foot of the Warby Ranges, hosting a highly successful stud dispersal and then retiring to Melbourne.

Joan will be fondly remembered, not only for her notable contributions to the Australian Angus sector but also for her warmth, hospitality, and partnership with her husband of 67 years.

She leaves behind a legacy of dedication, hard work and excellence in agriculture, a devoted family, and countless friends in the rural community that will never forget her warm and welcoming smile.