WAMIA - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the WAMIA Board
Ms Lay was reappointed to the Board for a further two-year term in June 2022, as a representative of producers of meat. Ms Lay is currently a business partner at Coolindown Farms, a family-owned mixed sheep and grain enterprise near Esperance. She is the Co-Founder and current secretary of Esperance Zone Innovation (EZI) Group Inc and has worked in the Agricultural Industry since 1994. Ms Lay holds a double Diploma in Business Studies and Agriculture as well as completing the full Australian Institute of Company Directors Course in 2020. In 2019 Ms Lay won the WA Agrifutures Rural Women's Award for her pilot project looking at GPS tracking of lambing ewes for animal welfare and production outcomes.
Job Titles:
- Member of the WAMIA Board
- Advisory Member of the Biosecurity Council of WA
Dr Kelly Pearce was reappointed to the Board for an additional three-year term in May 2022, representing the producers of meat. She previously held the position of Deputy Chair until May 2022. Dr Pearce is a grain and prime lamb producer based in Yealering. She has an eighteen-year career in Agricultural Research and continues to coordinate several regional science and innovation projects. Dr Pearce is currently Acting Executive Officer of The Facey Group based at Wickepin.
Dr Pearce is also an Advisory Member of the Biosecurity Council of WA, a Committee Member of the Gene Technology Technical Advisory Committee, and a member of the WA Sheep & Goat Industry Funding Scheme Management Committee. Dr Pearce is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a 2012 Nuffield Scholar.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Chairman of the WAMIA Board
- Member of the WAMIA Board
- Deputy Chairma )
Ms Williams was reappointed to the Board for a further three-year term in June 2022. She was also appointed to the position of Deputy Chair and continues as a representative representing the Wholesale & Retail Meat Industry. Ms Williams is a highly accomplished operations, sales and marketing professional with over 15 years of experience within the consumer goods (FMCG) industry and has worked extensively across both Australian domestic and international markets. She has considerable business and entrepreneurial experience through her partnerships within the wholesale and retail industries, having successfully negotiated supply agreements with all the major multiples in Australia. Ms Williams management roles with Craig Mostyn Group, Cannon Foods and Woolworths have provided her a comprehensive understanding of supply chain management within an accomplished integrated meat processing model. Ms Williams also has experience in continuous improvement and occupational safety and health.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Executive
- HR Officer
Job Titles:
- Acting Chief Executive Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the WAMIA Board
Mr Panizza was reappointed to the Board for a further two-year term in June 2022. Mr Panizza is a CPA and represents the interests of private abattoirs. He has worked in various regional areas throughout the State as an accountant in public practice before taking up a position in the private sector. Mr Panizza is currently a Director and CEO of Dardanup Butchering Company. He is the Chairman of the Australian Meat Industry Association's Western Australian Processor Council and is the State's representative to that organisation's national body, the National Processor Council.
Job Titles:
- Member of the WAMIA Board
Ms Sauley was appointed as the delegate of the Director General of the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development in July 2023. Ms Sauley is the Director of Legal & Legislative Services and General Counsel for the Department of Primary Industries (DPIRD). Raised in Perth and educated at the University of Western Australia, she initially worked in private legal practice before joining the Public Sector.
Ms Sauley has over 30 years' experience practicing law in government agencies, of which more than have been devoted to establishing, developing, and leading high performing, customer focussed and solution oriented in-house legal teams. Her experience ranges from conducting prosecutions for consumer protection and regulatory offences, advising on statutory powers, leading legislative reform processes, negotiating, and drafting commercial agreements on behalf of the State, and directly advising Ministers on sensitive and complex legal & legislative issues. In addition, she has regularly led the broader Corporate Services portfolio at DPIRD, and has been a member of several regulatory boards, including the Builder's Registration Board and the Motor Vehicle Industry Board, which she chaired for 12 months. She spent several years as deputy president on the board of a not-for-profit aged care facility. Ms Sauley is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the WAMIA Board
Ms Lang was appointed to the Chairman role on 3 July 2023. Ms Lang is about to conclude her four-year term as Chair of the Rural, Regional and Remote Women's Network of WA.
Ms Lang has over 18 years' experience in banking and finance and previously held Senior Management roles with ANZ in Commercial and Agribusiness banking. Ms Lang has extensive experience in cash flow management & modelling, financial analytics, risk management, benchmarking, and financial modelling. Ms Lang is a strong supporter of regional economic prosperity and primarily works with rural and regional clients and industry as a Director of Regional Finance Hub.