TWO new “special qualifications” directors have been appointed to the board of the Australian Meat Processor Corporation (AMPC), the Australian red meat processing industry's research, development, extension and marketing organisation.
Ms Leanne Heywood and Mr Bruce Rathie have been formally appointed for a three-year term which will commence on in January next year.
Ms Heywood is an executive and leader with over 25 years corporate experience in the mining sector, including ten years with Rio Tinto. Her experience includes strategic marketing, business finance and compliance, and she has led organisational restructures, disposals and acquisitions. Additionally, she has had significant experience in complex cross-cultural negotiations and international customer and stakeholder relationship management.
Mr Bruce Rathie is a solicitor and experienced company director who joins the board with extensive careers in both investment banking and the legal profession. He currently holds non-executive positions in the private sector, as Vice Chairman at Capricorn Society Limited, the largest independent automotive parts cooperative in the southern hemisphere, and as Chairman of Capricorn Mutual Limited, a discretionary mutual insurer with over 6000 members. He is currently a non-executive director of ASX-listed PolyNovo Limited (ASX:PNV), which develops and commercialises bio-degradable polymers for use in medical devices, and recently retired as Chairman of ASX-listed DataDot Technology Limited (ASX:DDT), which sells anti-theft and anti-counterfeiting technology globally. He holds degrees in law and commerce, a Masters of Business Administration, and is a Fellow of both the AICD and AIML.
The elections held in November also resulted in the election of two new processor directors in Ms Melissa Fletcher of Fletcher International Exports Pty Ltd, and Mr Pat Gleeson of Oakey Beef Exports Pty Ltd (a NH Foods company), to the nine-person board.
The new board gives special thanks to the two outgoing special qualifications directors in Ms Catherine Ainsworth and Mr Peter Noble for their invaluable contributions to AMPC.
Ms Ainsworth served for one term as a non-executive director and as Chair of AMPC’s Remunerations, and Audit and Risk committees during her tenure.
Mr Noble is the outgoing chair of AMPC, where he has been a Director for the past nine years, as well as Executive Chairman for the 12 months leading up to February of this year. He is largely responsible for developing the current strategic plan for AMPC, and his contribution and energy over the past nine years has been much appreciated. He leaves AMPC in great shape and with the thanks and gratitude of the Australian red meat processing industry.
A new chair of the AMPC Board will be elected at the next Board meeting scheduled for late January 2018.