The Nuffield Australia Constitution can be accessed here
Meet The Board
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 farm based dairy processing business Ashgrove Cheese. Since leaving the family business Jane furthered her executive experience as the founding Managing Director of an ASX listed agribusiness TasFoods that purchased several Tasmanian based agrifood businesses.
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 10 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Brian McAlpine
Brian was appointed to the Nuffield Board in October 2021, and is a 2003 Nuffield Scholar and grain farmer from Latham in Western Australia’s north-east. He is a past President of the Liebe Group and a past Councillor of the Dalwallinu Shire. Brian has completed a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).Brian was elected as a Director of the CBH Group Board in February 2012 and has sat on their Workplace Health and Safety Committee, Network and Engineering Committee and Audit and Risk Management Committee. He brings extensive board experience to his role at Nuffield.
Kara Knudsen
Kara is a 2013 Scholar with a beef cattle operation in Queensland. She is also Director of Chinchilla Vet Services. Kara studied accelerating genetic progression in the Northern Australian beef herd and role with Nuffield has been extensive. She was part of a taskforce developing the strategic plans in 2014-19 and 2020-25. She was Sponsorship Manager for the 2019 National Conference, has sat on the Programs Committee and participated in State and National Selections. Kara has also completed the Worshipful Company of Farmers (WCF) Advanced Agribusiness course and the Australian Institute of Directors (AICD) course. She also sat on the Red Meat MOU Review Taskforce in 2019. She wants to help achieve the strategic direction of Nuffield and keep the organisation blazing a trail of innovation and change in Australian agriculture.
Damien Smart
Damien was elected to the board in 2018. He and his wife Jess, along with his family, run a mixed farming business in the South East and Fleurieu Peninsula regions of South Australia. Production includes cropping, hay, irrigated fodder and pasture seeds, wool, lambs, cattle and vineyards. Damien has served as secretary and chairman of the Nuffield SA branch, was on a sub-committee for the 2011 Nuffield International Conference and sat on the national relationships committee. He has also been involved in state and national selection panels. Damien was awarded his scholarship in 2007 and studied water use efficiency and prescription livestock feeding. Locally, he has been heavily involved in sporting bodies as a player, administrator and coach over many years.