CEO Report
Scott Wright, Chief Executive Officer The past three months has been an incredible journey as I settled into the role of CEO. I have endeavoured to keep the best aspects of the culture at Angus Australia, and at the same time pivot and bring a new direction to the organisation.
Angus Australia CEO Scott Wright with Angus NSW during farm tours near Mudgee
Moving the culture of an organisation isn’t an easy process. Perhaps change is the wrong word; rather it would be that I am seeking to focus the organisation on member engagement and to simplify and streamline all our processes. That engagement and simplification is what has preoccupied my time since commencing as CEO in March. 2022 is all about focus and working with the Board to formulate a new 5-year strategic plan to begin in 2023.
The “Have Your Say” workshops have been very useful in drawing out the small (and large) issues that perhaps have been overlooked. If you would like to contribute any feedback about Angus Australia in any way, please email: scott.wright@angusaustralia.com.au or kathryn.duddy@angusaustralia.com.au.
New Zealand
At the May board meeting, Erica Halliday was elected as the new President of the Board. Erica and I share a common heart for improving service and engagement with members. I am certain this will be a positive chapter for the entire organisation. Sam White finished up his time on the board following the AGM and Sinclair Munro has joined the board as a National Director. The board meeting was productive, with considerable time spent on several significant projects currently in development. Importantly, a new regulation around leasing of females was considered and passed. This new regulation will be communicated to members in the coming weeks.
In May, Sam White, Erica Halliday, Tammy McLeod and myself visited New Zealand to welcome and interact with our newest group of breeders, AngusPRO. This was a helpful workshop with a very passionate group of breeders who are a great addition to our “Angus family”. AngusPRO bring a great energy to Angus Australia, headed up by the positive work of Tim Brittain. While in New Zealand, we also had a meeting with New Zealand Angus to consider a way of working together moving forward. While the content of the discussion at that meeting is confidential, I can report we had important and very helpful discussions in which both parties resolved several ways of working together in a positive partnership moving forward.
Visitation and “Have Your Say” Workshops
As I write this, we are midway through our “Have Your Say” workshops. Can I say thank you to the membership for your attendance, attitude and your enthusiasm for the future of both the organisation and the Angus breed. These discussions have helped me to gain an even better understanding of the needs of the membership. I appreciate the time given by the various Board members to attend and contribute. In addition, I have continued to visit as many members as possible to enable frank and open conversations about the future of the breed and the society. 6
May Board Meeting
GenAngus Future Leaders
One of the absolute highlights of the year was being able to attend the GenAngus Future Leaders event held in Adelaide in May. The organisation was fantastic, and you can be assured the future of the breed is in great hands, judging from the high calibre of young people who attended. The course has a team building component and then moves into a number of skill building sessions, aiming to equip our Angus leaders of tomorrow with the skills and mental outlook they will require to make their businesses a success. Thank you to Achmea Australia for their valuable alliance in allowing us to host such an enriching event for these young people.
