Hort Innovation is the sector’s new, not-for-profit, industry services body and Research and Development Corporation (RDC) for Australian horticulture. It invests more than $100 million in research, development and marketing programs annually for Australia’s $9 billion horticulture industry.

The AGM saw the retirement of four of the nine founding Hort Innovation Directors, and the first election, appointment and re-appointment of four Directors who will now hold a three-year term on the Board.

Over 107 applications were received and after a rigorous selection process carried out by the Director Nomination Committee, seven nominees were selected.

Re-nominating Director, Susan Finger was elected by members at the AGM. She was appointed a Director of Hort Innovation at its registration in 2014 by the Minister for Agriculture. Finger holds a Bachelor of Business and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Members at the AGM elected Stephen Lynch. With over 35 years’ experience in Australian and international agribusiness, with much of the last 20 years working in Australian horticulture, he was previously a Director of the Almond Board of Australia (2003–2009), Chairman for three of those years, and a Board Member of the Australian Nut Industry Council (ANIC). He was also involved in the establishment of Pollination Australia.

Lynch previously held a number of company directorships and senior management roles, managing horticulture operations and investments from 1999 to 2012. His horticulture experience covers strategy, investment, project management and business development assessment/advice for industries including almonds, citrus, stone fruit, table grapes, avocados, mangoes, and some vegetables.

Re-nominating Director, Mark Napper was appointed by the Board following the AGM. He was appointed a Director of Hort Innovation at its registration in 2014. He was previously a Director of Horticulture Australia Limited (HAL) since 2013.  Napper has 30 years’ experience in Australian agribusiness, 22 of which have been in horticulture.

He owns a fruit orchard in Bangalow, New South Wales, and currently grows peaches, nectarines and custard apples having previously grown avocados, mangoes and mandarins.He is also current President of Low Chill Australia Inc., and is the Far North Coast District Council representative on the New South Wales Farmers’ Association Horticulture Committee.

Richard Hamley was appointed by the Board, following the AGM.

He is the Commercial Director of Potatoes for Oakville Produce (formerly MGroup), one of Australia’s largest integrated grower/packer/marketers of brushed and washed potatoes.

Hamley holds a Bachelor of Science (Biological Sciences) from the University of Natal, South Africa, andhas extensive experience over more than 30 years in production environments from broad acre field crops, through large-scale intensive orchard and vineyard developments to high-tech glasshouses. His experience, which includes international exposure, comprises agronomy, agricultural research and development, crop production, category management, and operations management.

He has previously spent over a decade with the Costa Group, in the position of General Manager for Costa’s mushroom, tomato, grape and agribusiness categories.

Hamley spent five years with Capespan PLC, an international leader in the fresh produce category out of South Africa and another five years with Danish agribusiness multinational, United Plantations Africa Ltd.