Diverse agribusiness adviser and board director, Ian Wilton, is the new chairman of the Co-operative Research Centre for Sheep Industry Innovation (Sheep CRC), replacing south western NSW woolgrower, Duncan Fraser.
Mr Wilton, already a board director for two years, was appointed on the recommendation of the Sheep CRC’s nomination committee.
Mr Wilton is a former chief executive at of GrainCorp and chief financial officer with the sugar division of CSR, stockfeed company Ridley Corporation and GrainCorp.
He currently sits on the boards of Elders and One Harvest, and chairs the advisory board of big Queensland family horticultural business, MacKay’s Banana Marketing.
He has chaired the Sheep CRC’s finance and compliance committee.
The Sheep CRC, based at Armidale operates as part of the Federal Department of Industry, Innovation and Science’s CRC program, although its lifespan in its present form ends in 2019.
It is a collaboration of more than 40 organisations from across industry, government and the commercial sector, and includes producer groups, farm advisers, universities and research organisations, meat processors and retailers.
The CRC operates three research programs: Wellbeing and Productivity; Faster Genetic Gain; and Meat Value Chain.
Thee programs are delivering high impact new products including a range of DNA tests, the RamSelect and ASKBILL apps, and new meat quality assessments to support Meat Standards Australia.
“I’m looking forward to guiding the Sheep CRC through its final 18 months and ensuring the successful completion of its research and development programs so we can maximise the benefits available to industry,”said Mr Wilton, who lives in Sydney.
“I’ll be working closely with the CRC’s board and executive, as well as the 41 participant organisations, to ensure new technologies are smoothly transitioned to industry organisations so they continue to deliver benefit to industry long after the CRC closes its doors in June 2019.”