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Meet The Board

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Jane Bennett (Chair)

Jane lives in Relbia , Tasmania with her partner Rick Wyllie and son Griffin. At the time of undertaking her Nuffield Scholarship in 2008, Jane was the founding Managing Director of a family-owned Tasmanian farm based dairy processing business Ashgrove Cheese.

Jane has extensive governance experience having served as a Non-Executive Director on a range of companies including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), CSIRO, Australian Farm Institute and Food Innovation Australia Ltd. Currently Jane Chairs the Board of Hop Products Australia and serves as a Non-Executive Director on Grain Growers Ltd and Sustainable Timber Tasmania.

Jane has served on the Board of Nuffield for the past 11 years and looks forward to continuing to work with the Board, Management, and the Nuffield Alumni to fulfil our Charitable Purpose to advance sustainable and profitable primary production in Australia through delivery of an outstanding international scholarship experience that builds a prestigious agricultural network.

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Rob
Bradley

Rob and his wife Jo and operate Bradley Agriculture, an extensive farming business in Northern Tasmania that includes an 850 cow dairy, prime lamb production and irrigated cropping of high value crops including seed carrots, peas and poppies. They  are also partners in a 4,500 ha broad acre farming operation in northern NSW. Outside his own business Rob serves on two ‘Not for Profit Boards in his local community, Cressy Longford Irrigation Scheme and Toosey Aged Care, Longford. He also serves as a director on Dairy Farm Management Business. Awarded his scholarship in 2009, he studied the integration of livestock and cropping farming systems.

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Don
Madden

Don Madden is a 2010 scholar and co-owner and director for Smithfield Cattle Company Group, a family business operating in beef cattle lot feeding, exports, logistics, property development and management. Don is a former Qld State Chair and has participated in selection interview panels. Don has been active in the feedlot industry for 25 years through the Australian Lot Feeders Association (ALFA) making notable contributions to setting the strategic vision for the industry as well as important R&D projects. He was also instrumental in the implementation of the first Trainee Manager program for the industry and mentored several young people over the years. Don has also completed the The Executive Program for Agricultural Producers (TEPAP) course in Texas, USA. Don fundamentally believes in Nuffield’s core value proposition of inspiring passion in people to develop their potential to lead positive change in farming and food.  

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Nigel
Corish

Nigel is a 2014 Scholar from Goondiwindi, QLD and was appointed to the Nuffield Board in September 2023. A fourth-generation food and fibre producer, Nigel is MD of New Leaf Ag Pty Ltd producing cotton, wheat, barley, chickpeas and sorghum across 4500ha.  A graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), Nigel is currently serving as Vice Chair of the board of Grain Growers Limited and is also a director of Cotton Seed Distributors.  Nigel serves as Chair of Ability Agriculture, which is a charity aiming to increase awareness, support, representation and opportunity for people with disabilities in agriculture.  In addition, Nigel is a former State Chair of the Queensland Nuffield State Committee.

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Donald McGauchie, AO

Donald McGauchie was appointed to the Nuffield Board in 2013 as a special skills external Director. Donald is Chairman of Nufarm Limited, the Australian Agricultural Co (AACo) and the Australian Wool Testing Authority (AWTA). His previous roles with public companies include Chairman of Telstra, Deputy Chairman of Ridley Corporation, Director of National Foods, Chairman of Woolstock, Chairman of the Victorian Rural Finance Corporation (statutory corporation), and also President of the National Farmers Federation. During 2011 he retired as a member of the Reserve Bank Board. In 2001 Donald was named the Rabobank Agribusiness Leader of the Year, was later awarded the Centenary Medal for services to Australian society through agriculture and business. In 2004, Donald was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia.

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Guy Hebblewhite

Guy is a 2013 Scholar and was elected to the board in 2024.

In 2013 Guy travelled and studied agribusiness management and waste to energy to produce biomethane. Recently he exited the family agribusiness of chicken meat production and wagyu cattle backgrounding in Tamworth, NSW. He is also currently creating an agri-marketplace.

He is the past chair of the federal governments AgriFutures chicken meat advisory panel. He was a member of the policy committee on the Australian Chicken Growers Council (ACGC), and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors course (AICD).

Guy is the past Chair and Treasurer of Nuffield Farming Scholars NSW Branch and was part of the conference team that pulled together the first regional national conference in Tamworth in 2022. 

He looks forward to continuing the great work of previous boards and engaging with the Nuffield alumni globally. 

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Kara
Knudsen

Kara, a 2013 Scholar from Mundubbera, Queensland, runs a beef enterprise and is passionate about the future of agriculture in Australia. In 2013, she studied accelerating genetic progression in the Northern Australian beef herd. Since then, Kara has been actively involved with Nuffield, holding various volunteer roles in sponsorship, conference organisation, strategic planning, and serving on multiple committees.

Kara has significantly contributed to shaping the beef industry, including her role in the 2019 taskforce reviewing the Red Meat Industry MOU. She has also completed the Worshipful Company of Farmers (WCF) Advanced Agribusiness course and the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) course.

In addition to her professional achievements, Kara is deeply involved in community events and is passionate about highlighting rural Australia. She is committed to helping Nuffield achieve its strategic goals and continuing to drive innovation and change in Australian agriculture.

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Johanna
Tomlinson

Johanna Tomlinson, a 2019 Nuffield Scholar from the South Coast of Western Australia, was appointed to the Nuffield Board in 2024. Together with her husband Wayne, she operates a beef cattle enterprise in the region. Johanna holds a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours), has completed the Rabobank Executive Development Program, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

Her career includes roles such as Executive Manager of Operations at South Coast NRM, Director of Clear South, and Executive Officer of Fitzgerald Biosphere Group, where she has provided strategic leadership and facilitated investment attraction and delivery for various regional initiatives. Johanna has served on several boards and committees, including Albany Community Financial Services Ltd. (a franchisee of Bendigo Bank) and the Nuffield WA Executive.

She is deeply committed to supporting regional communities, businesses, and community groups, and values collaboration with like-minded professionals. 

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