The Australian Government has appointed chief executive of Tasmanian Irrigation (TI) Chris Oldfield to the post of Australian Consul-General and Senior Trade Commissioner in San Francisco.
Mr Oldfield has resigned from TI to take up the post in early December.
TI chairman John Lord said the appointment, representing Australia’s consular and trade interests on the US west coast, was a tribute both to Mr Oldfield’s professional achievements and to the success of the irrigation revolution he has spearheaded in Tasmania.
“We are sorry to lose Chris; he has been the tireless leader of a team that has 10 schemes to its credit and another five literally in the pipeline,” Mr Lord said.
“At the same time, we recognise that to serve Australia in a senior consular and trade role overseas is an opportunity that few would refuse. We wish him and his wife, Penny, every success in this exciting chapter of their lives.”
Mr Lord said that TI general manager Luke Curtain would be acting CEO of Tasmanian Irrigation until a full-time replacement for Mr Oldfield was appointed.
Mr Oldfield joined Tasmanian Irrigation in April 2010 after two years as CEO of the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, which had followed a career in business administration, specialising in government and public relations.
Most recently Mr Oldfield was appointed to the Prime Minister’s Joint Commonwealth and Tasmanian Economic Council.
