Rabobank has revived its executive development program after a COVID-enforced two-year hiatus, subsequently hosting 19 fresh participants from across Australia and New Zealand to start the course in Sydney recently.
The program focuses on equipping progressive primary producers with the building blocks to lift their business management and strategies to the next level.
Participants celebrated the completion of module one of their course at a lunch at Watersedge at Campbell's Stores in the Rocks.
Primary producers from a diverse range of farming operations from all states and NZ's North Island undertook the week-long residential module.
Rabobank Australia chief executive officer, Peter Knoblanche, told the lunch attendees the bank viewed the educational program as one of the truly meaningful ways it could help build capacity and strengthen the future of agriculture.
"For participants, this week is the beginning of what I'm sure will prove to be a life-changing experience, the start of a wonderful journey that will hopefully be a catalyst for future growth and development," he said.
"Past graduates repeatedly tell us the executive development program was one of the best decisions they had ever made."
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Rabobank began the graduate program in 1999, and now has an alumni group of more than 1200 primary producers who have completed either the EDP or its sister course, the Farm Managers Program.
Mr Knoblanche was "pleased and privileged" to have the benefit of Professor Robin Stonecash as program director, ensuring courses constantly evolved to meet the needs of participants and business thinking and management frameworks.
However, from now, former RaboResearch general manager, Tim Hunt, will join her as a joint program director.
"We are delighted to have Tim bring his great knowledge of the food and agribusiness sector, both locally and globally, to the programs," he said.
The current cohort of participants now undertake a business management project before completing a second week-long course in September.
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Andrew Marshall
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
Andrew Marshall is the group agribusiness writer for ACM's state agricultural weeklies and websites. He is a former editor at The Land and has worked in various Rural Press group roles in Canberra, North Richmond (NSW) and Toowoomba (Qld).
