Hort Innovation has welcomed two new board directors as the grower-owned Rural Research and Development Corporation sharpens its focus on grower priorities.
At the organisation’s Annual General Meeting on 25 November 2022, voting members elected Elke Cleverdon and Stephen McCutcheon, and re-elected Jan Vydra, to the Hort Innovation Board. Julie Bird was later re-elected as Chair by the new Board, and Paul Harker will continue as Deputy Chair.
The new appointees bring experience in agribusiness, finance, consumer goods, trade and international markets, and regulatory roles:
Elke Cleverdon is an experienced non-executive director in the agribusiness and customer-owned banking sector. She was recently selected to the National Farmers’ Federation Diversity in Ag Leadership Program, one of 12 women nationally.
Stephen (Steve) McCutcheon has had more than 40 years’ experience working with the agriculture and food sectors in private and public sector settings. During his career, he has held a number of Board positions on Australian Government entities including the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority, Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) and is the current Chair of Plant Health Australia.
Find out more about the Board and its future direction here.
