YOUNG beef industry leader Kirsty McCormack from Queensland is the national 2017 NAB Agribusiness Rising Champion.
The announcement was made by National Australia Bank’s (NAB) general manager agribusiness Khan Horne at the Cattle Council of Australia’s annual Rising Champions gala dinner at the National Museum of Australia in Canberra last night.
Small Business Minister Michael McCormack gave a resounding speech acknowledging the importance of Australian agriculture to the national economy and the critical role of young farmers, while Shadow Agriculture Minister Joel Fitzgibbon was another special guest.
As this year’s national winner Ms McCormack will attend the International Beef Alliance conference in NZ in October.
Jeremy Cummins from NSW was named runner-up and received a scholarship to the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership program provided by the Australian Beef Industry Foundation.
Now in its sixth year, the NAB Agribusiness Rising Champions Initiative is run by Cattle Council of Australia and caters for 18 to 35-year-olds.
It aims to inspire, empower and support young people passionate about the Australian beef industry.
This year’s other finalists were Rob Ewing, Victoria, Hannah Marshall, SA, Kristy-Lee Fogarty, NT, Weldon Percy, WA and Laura Shepherd from Tasmania.
The finalists attended a three-day program in Canberra this week networking with key decision makers from the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources, learning effective communication techniques, developing their leadership skills and participating in Cattle Council sub-committee meetings.
Cattle Council president Howard Smith congratulated Ms McCormack on winning the 2017 NAB Agribusiness Rising Champions Initiative.
“I believe Kirsty will be an outstanding leader for the beef industry over the next year and I look forward to seeing the wonderful things she can achieve,” he said.
“Providing opportunities for young leaders to get involved and learn more about the policy-setting and decision making process is critical for the future of the beef industry.
“I encourage Kirsty to take advantage of the opportunities provided to her over the next year and in particular, during her trip to NZ as part of the International Beef Alliance.”
Cattle Council of Australia is a member of the International Beef Alliance, which provides Australian beef producers with a voice at an international level.
Mr Horne said the NAB was proud to have sponsored Cattle Council’s Rising Champions Initiative since its inception in 2010.
“For the Australian beef industry to remain strong we need a new generation of smart and passionate leaders coming through,” he said.
“The initiative helps to foster the development of a whole group of talented young people and we look forward to continuing our support into the future.”
Mr Smith thanked last year’s Rising Champion award winner Kevin Stark for his input into industry over the last twelve months.
“Kevin Stark has been an excellent mentor for young leaders in the beef industry,” he said.
“Kevin has been a great contributor to the industry over the past year and we look forward to him being involved with Cattle Council into the future.”
Ms McCormack works for OBE Organic in Brisbane as a Sales and Production Executive and studied a Bachelor of Rural Science at the University of New England in northern NSW.
Mr Cummins is a livestock buyer for Teys Australia based in the New England region and run a cattle trading business on their property near Somerton NSW.