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Mon 6 Jan 2025

OnBoard | A grower director program

Designed for growers who want to be an active voice for their industry through board appointments and Directorships, OnBoard presents a tailor-made professional development opportunity.

A unique leadership opportunity for growers.

Combining the development of leadership capability and sound governance skills essential for today's Director, OnBoard presents an unparalleled professional development opportunity, tailor-made for growers. OnBoard now offers an immersive in-person experience, ensuring that participants can fully engage with the content and facilitators.

The OnBoard program was developed by GrainGrowers after recognising the depth of talented growers capable of making significant contributions to the sector, yet low rates of grower applicants for industry boards. The program integrates both hard and soft skills training delivered by expert facilitators and provides full funding for participants to complete governance training through the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).

OnBoard 2025 will offer participants one of two streams of governance training courses administered by the AICD in addition to the hard- and soft-skills training. They include:

  • AICD Company Director’s Course
    This in-depth course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of the requirements needed to be an effective director for not-for-profits and other industries. You can read more about this course here.
  • AICD Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors
    This is a new stream for OnBoard 2025, and is a shorter course that is focused specifically on directorship for not-for-profits. You can read more about this stream here.

The OnBoard program runs for approximately 6 months depending on the stream and management of schedules.

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APPLICATION STATUS
Applications are now open, and will close 10 February 2025 at 5pm AEDT.
Why was OnBoard Developed?

The Problem:

There is no shortage of talented and progressive grain farmers in Australia, many of whom are capable of making significant contributions to the grains industry. However, it can be difficult to attract a competitive Director candidate field for industry positions.

Anecdotal evidence suggests that this is due to growers being time poor, not perceiving themselves as having the experience or skills required to see them successfully appointed to or endorsed for a board position.

The Solution:

GrainGrowers seeks to expand the talent pool of qualified grower director candidates and ensure that we have a strong talent pipeline into the future. OnBoard does this by providing a professional development program that builds the requisite skills for collaborative, progressive and effective governance.

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Meet the 2024 OnBoard participants

Meg Rice

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Meg Rice

Meg has a strong background in the agricultural industry and policy development. After graduating from the University of New England with a Bachelor of Agriculture/Laws, Meg was admitted as a lawyer in the Supreme Court of NSW.

Meg has worked with the federal government and industry organisations across a number of policy areas within the agricultural industry.

She is actively involved in her local community and the broader agriculture industry, serving on various committees and Boards, including as Board Director and Company Secretary of award-winning national charity Country to Canberra.

Meg lives and works on a cattle and cropping property at Billa Billa, near Goondiwindi in Queensland.

Oscar Pearse

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Oscar Pearse

Oscar Pearse runs a family business with his wife Susannah (and children Gregory, Eleanor and Josephine) on their dryland cropping and beef cattle property at Moree, which has been in the family since 1872. He holds a bachelor of Agribusiness, majoring in Rural Science, from the University on New England and was previously a participant in the Grain Growers Farm Leader Program.

Oscar has formerly worked in policy and project management roles for a number of agricultural representative and research organisations, including AFI, MLA, AgForce Queensland, NFF and red meat industry peak bodies. He is currently a board member of NSWFA and an active participant with FCA.

Emma Langfield

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Emma Langfield

Emma is a farmer, solicitor and mother of four located on the Liverpool Plains in NSW. Emma and her husband operate a mixed farming enterprise, predominantly broadacre cropping, in the Spring Ridge area. Emma grew up on a farm near the neighbouring village of Breeza. Both her brothers and her husband’s sisters are all farmers on the Liverpool Plains and like many farming families, Emma and her husband would like to offer their children the opportunity to continue this legacy.

Emma is thrilled to be selected for the Graingrowers Onboard Program. She views it as a wonderful opportunity to broaden her skills. Emma is looking forward to starting this new challenge in her career and hopes that completing this program will allow her to make a positive contribution to the agricultural industry.

John Even

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John Even

After enjoying life at university and working at CBH during harvests, John started an accounting career at Byfields in Northam who had many farming clients. John became a Partner in the firm and after 10 years, purchased a farm in Goomalling. John continued as a consultant at Byfields a couple of days a week for the next decade before retiring from accounting and starting farming full-time.

Across this time, John dedicated 12 years to GRDC between Western Panel and Soil Constraints steering committee. In amongst these responsibilities, John continued to hold various roles across local sporting clubs and school boards.

John enjoys being involved in agriculture and admires the resilience and positivity of growers, particularly those in the eastern Wheatbelt in WA.

John has a wife and three boys who he notes are integral to the success of their family business.

Lou Flohr

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Lou Flohr

Lou Flohr is a farmer in the Southern Mallee of South Australia. She farms with her partner Andy, their 3 young kids, and her parents, Janet and Gary. She returned to the farm in 2015 after a decade long agronomy career in both the private and reseller field. She was a member of the Southern Panel of the GRDC from 2019-2023 and has a passion for promoting women in Agriculture. She is keen to undertake the AICD course to represent women in Agriculture at the board level.

Program Structure

The OnBoard program is structured into three distinct components. Each component is facilitated by a different expert, with the first two modules delivered across three days in Sydney.

Component 1: Honing the Hard Skills (Face to face)
Spanning over the initial three days, this module prepares participants for the board selection process and their inaugural board appointment. Focused areas include crafting a Board CV, interview techniques, applying critical analysis tools, and understanding the responsibilities of a director.

Component 2: Sharpening the Soft Skills (Face-to-Face)
Continuing in the three-day face-to-face format, this module delves into the intangible skills vital for effective board directors, such as influential communication and speaking with authority.

Component 3: Governance Training
Participants will embark on either the AICD’s Company Directors Course, or the AICD Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors at a time and location of their choosing provided it is within the current financial year to round off their training.

Benefits

OnBoard provides growers with the means and skills to approach governance in boards, committees and directorships. It includes:

  • The opportunity to complete either the AICD’s Company Director's Course or the AICD Governance Foundations for Not-for-Profit Directors.
  • Hard and soft governance skills.
  • Skills to create engaging CVs for appointments.
  • Knowledge of how to perform in an interview.

The cost to participate is covered by GrainGrowers.

Who is it for?

OnBoard provides the pathway to and support for Growers who are entrenched in the industry and would be applying to board or committee positions within the next 12 months. OnBoard is best suited to those who are:

  • Currently a grain grower or involved actively in the grain industry.
  • Keen to enhance their grains industry leadership and advocacy skillsets.
  • Want to develop personal and professional skills, networks, and leadership knowledge.
  • An Australian citizen.
Our Commitment

GrainGrowers will ensure that our programs continue to incorporate every member's perspective and experience. We never discriminate on the basis of race, religion, national origin, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, marital or disability status. GrainGrowers is committed to providing accommodations to all individuals in the application process and while participating in our development programs, including a carer stipend where applicable.

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GrainGrowers Diversity Pledge

GrainGrowers is proud to be a partner of the Diversity in Agriculture Leadership Program.