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Board and implements the Board’s decisions. To ensure that the GRDC’s operations are monitored and managed efficiently and effectively, the EMT meets regularly, and maintains and updates an annual business schedule.

Information on the roles and backgrounds of the EMT members is shown in Figure 15.

Executive Management Team

The Executive Management Team (EMT) has six members: the Managing Director and the executive managers from each of the five management groups. The management structure is shown in Figure 7 in Part 1.

The EMT leads the GRDC’s business activities, advises the GRDC

Figure 15 Members of the GRDC Executive Management Team as at 30 June 2008
Members as at 30 June 2008

Peter Reading

Peter has been Managing Director of the GRDC since February 2004. He is the inaugural Chair of Pulse Breeding Australia and a Director of Export Grains Centre.

Peter was previously the Managing Director of the Grain Pool Pty Ltd.

Peter graduated from the University of Sydney with an honours degree in agricultural science. He commenced postgraduate studies in agronomy before leaving university to work for American Cyanamid in Australia, Asia and the United States. In Australia he subsequently worked for Incitec, British Oxygen Group (in Australia and Asia) and the Grain Pool in Western Australia.

Greg Fraser

Greg manages all aspects, including performance, of the GRDC’s R&D investment in the ‘better practices, adopted faster’ pathway.

In addition, Greg is responsible for the GRDC’s strategies for, and investments in, publications, products and grower extension.

Greg has degrees in agricultural science and management and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He joined the GRDC in January 2005. Greg has held a number of business and industry positions, including inaugural Chairman, Agrifood Awareness Australia; Chairman, Synthetic Pyrethroid Subcommittee, Avcare; Chairman, Biotechnology Committee, Avcare; and President, Weed Society of Queensland. He has been Chief Executive of Enterprise Grains Australia and managed various enterprises in the agricultural, chemical and biotechnology industries.

Greg is currently a member of the Industry Advisory Committee of the EH Graham Centre for Agricultural Innovation; the national committee on elevated carbon dioxide research; Chairman of the Australian Agriculture and Natural Resources Online Management Committee and a director of Philom Bios (Australia) Pty Ltd.

John Harvey

John manages all aspects, including performance, of the GRDC’s R&D investment in the ‘better varieties, faster’ pathway.

John is also responsible for the GRDC’s strategies for, and investments in, capacity building.

John is a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He is a director of Australian Crop Accreditation System Limited and a Director of the Value Added Wheat CRC (VAW CRC). He is on the management Boards of Pulse Breeding Australia and the National Soybean Breeding Program. He is also a member of the Australian Winter Cereals Pre-Breeding Alliance.

John joined the GRDC in November 1997 as Program Manager Farming Systems. He became Manager R&D Programs in 2001. John’s background is in agricultural extension, and RD&E management. He previously worked with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries in Kingaroy, Queensland, where he was responsible for a range of programs dealing with pulse breeding, stored grains, sustainable cropping systems and extension services.

Vincent Logan

Vince manages all aspects, including performance, of the GRDC’s R&D investment in the ‘new products’ pathway.

He is currently serving on the Boards of Philom Bios (Australia) Pty Ltd and Arista Cereal Technologies Pty Ltd. Previously, while working at the GRDC, he was a Board member of Pulse Australia Limited, GrainGene, the VAW CRC and Australian Grain Technologies.

Vince joined the GRDC in 1996 as Business Manager after 17 years in finance and marketing roles in the petroleum industry. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was appointed Executive Manager, Business Development in 2001 and Executive Manager, New Products in 2004.

Iftikhar Mostafa

Iftikhar has accountability for managing all aspects of the corporate strategy, program and regional panel support areas of the GRDC, including strategy development, revenue and R&D expenditure forecast, project and program review, impact assessment, business process and procurement management.

Iftikhar joined the GRDC in March 2001 as Strategy and Economic Analysis Manager. He holds a PhD in economics from Cornell University in the United States and a management certificate from the International Institute for Management Development in Switzerland. Iftikhar was appointed Executive Manager, Corporate Strategy & Program Support in 2005.

After working as an Assistant Professor of Economics and Finance at St Bonaventure University in the United States, he worked for an international bank in the Middle East and South East Asia in the areas of investment appraisal, country analysis, project management, strategy and policy development and program and project review. Prior to joining the GRDC, Iftikhar was a senior adviser in the Australian Government Department of Finance and Administration.

Gavin Whitely

Gavin manages the GRDC’s corporate support activities, ensuring their integration, where appropriate, and their value-added contribution to the GRDC’s business planning and operations.

Gavin is a Director of Single Vision Grains Australia Limited and Agrifood Awareness Australia Limited.

Gavin joined the GRDC in January 2005. He has a strong background in agribusiness, having previously held executive level roles in the beef, cotton and chicken-meat industries. Prior to joining the GRDC, Gavin was Regional General Manager—Riverina, with Bartter Enterprises, based at Griffith, New South Wales. He holds an honours degree in agricultural economics and an associate diploma in farm management. He is a member of CPA Australia and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Rural Leadership Program.

Note: Responsibility for the role of Communication & Capacity Building is shared by Greg Fraser, John Harvey and the Communications Manager, Kylie Paulsen.
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