EXECUTIVE
The purpose of the Executive Committee is to oversee the management of the CRC to ensure that Programs comply with the objectives of the CRC, that co-operation of the communication between Programs is maintained and liaison with the Commonwealth is consistent.
CRC Management
Professor James Rowe
Chief ExecutiveOfficer
Sheep CRC Ltd
Phone: 02 6773 1317
Email:
jrowe@une.edu.au
Professor James Rowe holds a PhD in animal nutrition. His research on sheep and cattle production has resulted in a number of new products and innovative feeding systems. He has worked in the public sector (Department of Agriculture & Food, WA) with international organisations, large private sector companies and at the University of New England. In 2002 he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Sheep Industry CRC and currently holds the position of CEO with Sheep CRC Ltd.
Graham Truscott
Deputy Chief Executive Officer/Manager Commercialisation & Adoption
Sheep CRC Ltd
Phone: 02 6773 3597
Email:
gtruscot@une.edu.au
Graham Truscott has had an 18 year professional association with the agricultural industry, including CEO of The Angus Society of Australia, executive management positions with QLD DPI (now DEEDI QLD) and dairying in Gippsland, VIC. In addition he has held a wide range of management and technical positions in the information technology industry over a 15 year period. He holds a Diploma of Corporate Management, Graduate Diploma of Computing Science and a Bachelor of Science (Forestry). In 2008 he joined the CRC as Deputy CEO and Manager Commercialization & Adoption.
Stephen Potts
Chief Financial Officer/Company Secretary
Sheep CRC Ltd
Phone: 02 6773 2762
Email:
spotts@une.edu.au
Stephen Potts has broad business experience resulting from the diverse industries he has worked in, from hospitality to insolvency to mining. Prior to joining the CRC Stephen spent 6 years working with a major multinational company providing him with local, national and international experience across a range of finance, accounting, commercial, governance and community focused roles. He has an undergraduate degree in International Finance majoring in Accounting, is a member of CPA Australia and is undertaking a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance through Chartered Secretaries Australia. To broaden his knowledge base further Stephen is also part way through a Masters of Environmental Systems, Markets & Climate Change.
Peter Silk
Commercialisation and IP Manager
Sheep CRC
Phone: 03 98892610
Email:
peterandjansilk@hotmail.com
Peter Silk holds a Bachelor of Jurisprudence and a Post-Graduate qualification in Management. He has extensive experience in the wool industry having worked with Australian Wool Innovation Limited and its predecessor organizations. His roles in those organizations have included Research and Development Manager, Company Secretary and Manager, Technology Commercialisation. Peter has extensive experience in the areas of IP, contract negotiation, licence contract development, project management, industry key account development and management, and technology and IP marketing to industry
Program Leaders
Dr Andrew Thompson
Program 1 Leader - Transforming sheep and their management
Dept of Agriculture & Food, Western Australia
Phone: 08 9368 3662
Email:
andrew.thompson@agric.wa.gov.au
Dr Andrew Thompson studied Agricultural Science at the University of Western Australia and completed a PhD in Wool Science at the University of Adelaide, SA. Over the last 20+ years he has worked in WA, SA and Victoria on a range of wool and lamb production projects. He has considerable experience in leadership and science management at a National level, including leadership of the National ‘Lifetime Wool’ project (funded by AWI) which developed new guidelines for managing ewes and their progeny to increase whole farm profits and improve animal welfare. Andrew is employed by DAFWA and is Program Leader of the 'Transforming Sheep' program with the CRC, and is closely involved in new research related to maternal efficiency and methane production and adoption of strategies to improve reproduction efficiency.
David Tester
Program 2 Leader - Next generation wool quality
Sheep CRC/AWI
Phone: 0434 600 164
Email:
winebank@bigpond.com
David Tester was a senior scientist at the CSIRO Division of Wool Technology and in a 17 year career completed research relevant to much of the wool processing pipeline. In later years at CSIRO his work focused on commercialisation and technology transfer of R&D outcomes to the wool textile industry in the northern hemisphere as well as Australia. In 1996 he left CSIRO and went into wool textile production as technical director and general manager of a wool textile mill in England. David returned to Australia in 2000 to join Macquarie Textiles, Australia’s largest vertical wool textile mill before joining the Sheep CRC as Program Leader of the Wool Program in December 2008.
Professor Dave Pethick
Program 3 Leader - Next generation meat quality
Murdoch University
Phone: 08 9360 2246
Email:
d.pethick@murdoch.edu.au
Professor Dave Pethick holds a PhD qualification from Cambridge University (UK) and an undergraduate Degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Adelaide. His research in fundamental and applied meat science in beef, lamb and sheepmeats has made a major contribution to the understanding of meat quality and its management. He is head of Production Animal Research at Murdoch University and is Program Manager for Meat Science in both the Beef and Sheep CRCs. Dave is employed by Murdoch and is Program Leader of the Meat Program with the CRC.
Professor Julius van der Werf
Program 4 Leader - Information Nucleus
University of New England
Phone: 02 6773 2092
Email:
julius.vanderwerf@une.edu.au
Professor Julius van der Werf holds an undergraduate degree in Animal Science, and an MSc and PhD (1990) in Animal Breeding from Wageningen Agricultural University in the Netherlands. After appointments as Assistant Professor in Wageningen, and Senior Researcher in dairy cattle breeding at the National Institute for Animal Science and Health, Julius moved to the University of New England (Armidale, NSW) in 1997, first as Senior Lecturer and now as Professor in Animal Breeding and Genetics. He teaches animal genetics subjects and has supervised 43 postgraduate students. He has also delivered several postgraduate courses overseas. His research topics vary from genetic evaluation and breeding program design to detection and use of genomic information. Julius is employed by UNE and is Program Leader of the Information Nucleus Program with the CRC.
Professor Steve Walkden-Brown
Program 5 Leader - Education and training
University of New England
Phone: 02 6773 5152
Email:
swalkden@une.edu.au
Professor Steve Walkden-Brown is currently a Professor in Animal Health and Production at the University of New England. He graduated in Veterinary Science from the University of Queensland in 1981. At the end of 1995 he took up a lectureship at the University of New England teaching sheep production and animal health. He has continued teaching in these areas, including involvement in the education programs of the Premium Quality Wool CRC and the previous Australian Sheep Industry CRC. Steve also has research interests in sustainable parasite control in sheep, so brings a broad perspective together with considerable teaching and training experience to his position as Program Leader-Education in the CRC. Steve is employed by UNE and is Program Leader of the Education and Training Program with the CRC.
External Members
Jane Littlejohn
Project Manager, Animal Health and Welfare
Australian Wool Innovation Limited
Phone: 02 8295 3100
Email: jane.littlejohn@wool.com
Dr Jane Littlejohn holds a Bachelor of Veterinary Science and Masters in Veterinary Public Health Management from the University of Sydney. Jane's role with AWI is to manage animal health and welfare investment and coordinate projects across on farm research, development and extension. Jane's experience includes sheep production in South East NSW as a producer and a District Veterinarian, and agricultural policy development.
Dr Alex Ball
Manager, Lamb & Sheep Meats R&D
Meat & Livestock Australia Limited
Phone: 02 6773 2943
Email:
aball@mla.com.au
Dr Alex Ball holds a Bachelor of Rural Science Hons (1) and PhD from UNE. Alex has been employed with MLA since 1997 and is the current Manager of Lamb and Sheepmeats R&D. This role looks at all aspects of sheep production research in Australia. Alex was, until this year, Manager of Sheep Genetics, which includes the operation of LAMBPLAN and MERINOSELECT. Alex is also currently a wool and beef producer in the New Valley district of Guyra NSW.
CJ Hawkins Homestead, University of New England, Armidale NSW 2351