News

Proxy votes closing 8 November for MLA AGM

Beef Central, 10/10/2015

Meat & Livestock Australia members have one month until this year’s Annual General Meeting proxy voting deadline.

mla-logo-paddedAll MLA members will shortly be receiving their AGM packs in the mail, including the notice of meeting and proxy forms. The proxy form indicates the member voting entitlements and matters to be voted on at the AGM. MLA members who did not return their levies notice are automatically entitled to one vote at the AGM.

Members who cannot attend the AGM are encouraged to return their proxy voting forms by 2pm (Qld time) Sunday 8 November.

At this year’s meeting, members are being asked to vote on the election of three first-time nominees as Directors of MLA, as endorsed by the Board Selection Committee.

The Selection Committee, made up three independent producer representatives, three industry peak council representatives and two MLA Board Directors (but with no voting rights), interviewed a shortlist of candidates from a pool of 91 highly skilled applicants.

This year, applicants with extensive Western Australian livestock industry knowledge, with a focus on sheep, experience in value adding and innovation post farm gate, or strong domestic and global strategic marketing and fast moving consumer goods experience, with proven financial acumen, were encouraged to apply.

As a result, the Selection Committee has endorsed three nominees for election as Directors of MLA:

  • Business and events planning management entrepreneur with West Australian livestock producer expertise, Erin Gorter. Mrs Gorter runs a mixed farming operation in Kojonup, WA together with her husband. Erin also runs her own business offering management advice and events planning in rural areas. Erin was awarded the WA RIRDC Rural Women’s Award Runner Up in 2010 and sits on the Board of the WA Meat Industry Authority (WAMIA) as a producer representative, and is a director of AgVivo.
  • Steve Chauer

    Stephen Chaur

    Global brand marketing expert and strategist Steven Chaur (Chief executive since 2014 of Patties Foods, which controls processed and value-added food brands including Four’N Twenty, Patties, Herbert Adams, Nanna’s, Creative Gourmet and Chefs Pride). Mr Chaur has more than 25 years’ experience in fast moving consumer goods specifically in primary industry related sectors such as fresh dairy, meat processing, seafood and vegetable processing.  He has developed successful company and brand growth strategies that delivered sustainable profit contributions through value chain development, global sourcing, consumer brand marketing and innovation activities. He has had broad exposure to global business environments.

  • Industry business builder, technologist and post farm gate value-add expert Robert Fitzpatrick has 30 years’ experience in world‐class sales and marketing, for small and medium enterprises and startups, through to large corporates and government agencies. Mr Fitzpatrick has a passion for improving the efficiency of Australia’s agricultural sector, applying new analytics to de-bottleneck supply chains and dramatically reduce the cost of moving product from farm gate to foreign markets. He is a director of the Australian Academic and Research Network, Robec Oz and a senior executive of Data61 (formerly NICTA), a committee member of the Export Council of Australia and councillor of Charles Sturt University.

MLA Board chair Dr Michele Allan said candidates were assessed based on their skills and broad understanding of the Australian red meat and livestock industry, having strong business acumen, financial literacy, an understanding of corporate governance and a collaborative approach in making an active contribution to strategic and Board discussion.

“As a skills-based Board, their role is to ensure appropriate performance goals for the company are set and achieved, while taking into account the interests of the industry and other stakeholders. This includes strategy development and review of governance, financial performance and risk management,” Dr Allan said.

Outgoing MLA board directors are Dr Greg Harper (who resigned from the Board in February 2015), John McKillop and Peter Trefort.

  • For MLA members who can attend and cast their vote in person, the AGM will be held at 2pm at the Mercure Hotel, 85-87 North Quay, Brisbane, on Tuesday 10 November.
  • Members who are unable to attend the AGM must complete and return their proxy form by 2pm (Qld time) on Sunday 8 November.
  • For replacement proxy forms members can email membership@mla.com.au or call 1800 675 717.

 

Source: MLA

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