Ms Heather Chong (Chair)
Chief Executive Officer
Qew Orchards
Email: heather@qeworchards.com.au
Heather Chong is the Chief Executive Officer of Qew Orchards, a family owned and operated apricot orchard located near Richmond. Qew Orchards specialises in tree-ripened apricots for the fresh fruit market.
In 2003, Heather was named the Telstra Tasmanian Business Woman of the Year and also won the Tasmanian Westpac Group Business Owner Award.
Heather is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Director of the Rivers and Waters Supply Commission, an advisory board member of the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research, the Board of Advice and Reference (under the Marine Farming Planning Act 1995) and the Australian Women in Agriculture, and also Vice-Chair of the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation.
Ms Anthea Pritchard (Deputy Chair)
Director Brand Tasmania Project
Department of Economic Development and Tourism
Email: anthea.pritchard@development.tas.gov.au
Anthea Pritchard has been appointed to the new role of Brand Director within the Department of Economic Development and Tourism. Her responsibilities in this role will be to guide the development of the Tasmanian master brand and facilitate the successful communication of the brand through government and industry sectors to enhance the overall perception of our state.
Anthea Pritchard is the former Marketing Manager for J. Boag & Son, Australia’s premium brewer where she was responsible for the development of James Boag’s Premium, one of Australia’s most successful premium beers, the launch of James Boag’s Premium Light, Boag’s St George, Boag’s Classic Blonde and the development of the Boag’s Centre for Beer Lovers.
Anthea was previously employed with Diageo in Victoria and she also worked as a marketing consultant for National Foods. She is a board member of the Tasmanian Leaders Program and was awarded the Tasmanian Marketer of the Year in 2007 by the Australian Marketing Institute.
Ms Jane Bennett
Managing Director
Ashgrove Farm Cheese Pty Ltd
Email: jane@ashgrovecheese.com.au
Jane Bennett is the Managing Director of Ashgrove Cheese Pty Ltd, a family owned and operated business located in Elizabeth Town. Ashgrove Cheese is a boutique cheese manufacturer producing multi-award winning hard and semi-hard cheeses.
Jane was named the ABC Radio Australian Rural Woman of the Year in 1997 and she was also awarded the Regional Development category of the Young Australian of the Year Awards in 1998.
Jane was previously the Chair of the Tasmanian Food Industry Council, member of the National Food Industry Council and is a board member of the Brand Tasmania Council.
Jane recently received a Nuffield Scholarship to study trends in regional product development, branding and innovative distribution channels.
Mr Ted Best
Board Member
RACT Insurance
Email: edbest@bigpond.com
Ted Best retired from Cadbury Schweppes Pty Ltd in 2003 after 43 years, with 22 years as Director of the Tasmanian operations.
He has been a member of the Food Industry Council since its inception and is also the Chairman of Cherry Products Australia. Ted was also previously President of the RACT and is now Director of RACT Insurance.
Mr Richard Bovill
Owner
Bovill Farms
Email: rbovill@bigpond.com
Richard had 10 years experience on the family farm before establishing Freshgo Pty Ltd, a fruit and vegetable wholesale business in joint venture with the Roelf Vos Family to supply fruit and vegetables to their supermarkets. He subsequently had 16 years managing Woolworths Produce Buying and Distribution.
During his time at Woolworths he continued to be involved in mixed farming as owner of Bovill Farms located in the East Devonport and Don area. He also was instrumental in gaining access for Tasmanian cherries and apricots into Woolworths national supply system.
He led ‘The Fair Dinkum Food’ campaign and was instrumental in the creation of the ‘Australian Grown’ logo. He also Chairs the Australian Vegetable Industry Development Group.
Mr Gerald Ellis
Managing Director
Meadowbank Estate
Email: geraldellis@meadowbankwines.com
Gerald Ellis is the Managing Director of Meadowbank Estate located in the Coal River Valley, an enterprise incorporating two vineyards, a grazing and cropping property, a restaurant and function centre, and the Meadowbank wine business.
Gerald has a bachelor of Rural Science and Diploma of Financial Management from the University of New England.
Gerald is currently a judge at the Royal Hobart Wine Show and represents the industry on a number of committees and sub-committees.
Mr Maurice Geard
Email: msgeard@aeontfc.com
Maurice Geard is a fat-lamb producer from York Plains. Maurice recently retired as Chairman and Managing Director of Tasmania Feedlot Pty Ltd, which produces grain-fed beef for the Aeon Group in Japan, which now accounts for around half the value of food products exported to Japan from Tasmania.
Maurice has been a council member of the Australian Lot Feeders Association, Chairman of the State Fire Management Council and held numerous positions in Tasmania’s meat industry.
Ms Kristy Lark
Production Manager
Lark Distillery
Email: kristy@larkdistillery.com.au
Kristy is the Production Manager at Lark Distillery, one of Australia’s leading distilleries which produces unique Tasmanian premium spirits. Established in 1992, the company produces and markets 10 distilled products under the ‘Lark Tasmanian’ brand and also operates a whisky bar in Hobart.
She has worked her way up from the cellar door, to production, assistant distiller, then head distiller and is now Production Manager, overseeing all aspects of production and also including tourism, sales and marketing.
Kristy has a Bachelor of Business majoring in human resource management, marketing and business management from the University of Tasmania.
In addition to the Food Industry Council of Tasmania, Kristy is also a member of the Tasmanian Whisky Appreciation Society, Institute of Brewers and Distillers and the Next Generation Group run in conjunction with the Family Business Australia. She was recently nominated for the 2008 Tasmania Young Achievers Awards.
Dr Susan Nelle
Senior Research Fellow
Australian Innovation Research Centre
Email: Susan.Nelle@utas.edu.au
Dr Susan Nelle joined the Australian Innovation Research Centre (AIRC) in 2007 as a Senior Research Fellow, to develop a program of innovation studies in the Australian agrifood industry. Prior to joining the AIRC, Susan was Managing Director of National Food Industry Strategy (NFIS) Ltd, a private company that implemented the National Food Industry Strategy 2002-07. Previously, Susan was the Executive Director of Food South Australia and held senior management positions in consultancy firms in Australia and the United States.
She has previously worked with the Department of Industry and Trade in Victoria, as a consultant working with boards in the not-for-profit and corporate sectors, and in business strategy and development, and change management.
Susan won the Australian Gourmet Traveller Jaguar Award for Innovation in Food in 2001 and was a finalist in the South Australian Telstra Business Woman of the Year in 2002.
Mr Mark Ryan
Managing Director
Tassal Group Ltd
Email: mark.ryan@tassal.com.au
Mark Ryan is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Tassal Group Ltd. He is a specialist in business restructuring, corporate recovery, turnaround management and now the salmon industry. Mark has extensive experience in strategic consulting on financial and operational management in a number of industries.
Mark has worked previously with KordaMentha, Andersens and PricewaterhouseCoopers, focusing on pre-lending reviews, investigating accounts and monitoring assignments for secured lenders.
Mr Tony Scherer
Managing Director
Frogmore Creek Vineyard
Email: morefrogs@bigpond.com
Tony Scherer is the Managing Director of Frogmore Creek Vineyard located in the Coal River Valley. Frogmore Creek Vineyard was established in 1997 and was Tasmania’s first certified organic vineyard.
Tony was the Chair of the Technical Committee of the Viticulture Association of Tasmania and is currently President of the Tasmanian Pinot Noir Forum and member of the Minister for Agriculture’s Organic Advisory Committee.
Ms Anne Urquhart
State Secretary
Australian Manufacturing Workers Union (Tas)
Email: anne.urquhart@amwu.asn.au
Anne Urquhart is the State Secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union in Tasmania. Which covers workers in a diverse range of industries over five divisions, which cover both blue and white collar workers.
Anne is also the National President of the Food and Confectionery Division of the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.
Ms Mary Walker
Email: tracklementsoftasmania@bigpond.com
Mary Walker is the former Owner and Manager of Hill Farm Herbs and Tracklements, makers of award-winning preserves and mustards. Mary represents small manufacturers and now works as a consultant and mentor to small food businesses.
She was an inaugural member of the board of the Tasmanian Food and Beverage Association, Quality Tasmanian Foods and the Tasmanian branch of Slow Food. She has served on the Royal Agricultural Society Fine Foods Awards Committee and has been a member of the Food Industry Council since its inception. In 2006, Mary was a state finalist in the Telstra Business Women’s Awards.
Ms Helen Waterworth
Marketing Director
Houston’s Farm
Email: hwaterworth@houstonsfarm.com.au
Helen Waterworth is the Marketing Director of Houston’s Farm located at Cambridge and a leading consultant to the food industry. Helen worked on the development of the King Island Dairy brand and was instrumental in the development of their highly successful cheese portfolio.
Since 2001, Helen has been advising small and rapidly growing food manufacturers in the successful sales and marketing development of their products.
Helen is a cheese judge and regularly judges at the Australian Grand Dairy Awards. She runs classes for Dairy Australia, educating consumers on cheese and wine appreciation. She is also the former Managing Editor of the Australian Farmhouse Cheese Book and project manager and researcher of The New Dairy Culture.
Mr Bob Wilson
Director
Tasmanian Pure Foods Ltd
Email: bob.wilson.bagdad@bigpond.com
Bob is a Director of Tasmanian Pure Foods Ltd and the former Managing Director of Classic Foods Pty Ltd. Bob was instrumental in establishing Classic Foods’ joint venture with United Milk Tasmania in 1989.
Bob is the Chairman of the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research (TIAR) Dairy Centre Advisory Group. He is a Director of the Tasmanian Development Board and a former member of Cradle Coast Authority, Circular Head Business Enterprise Centre and Stanley Port Development Committee.
