FUTURE FOOD SYSTEMS - Key Persons
With wide experience in senior roles within the agriculture sector, Bob's areas of expertise are extensive. He is well versed in agri-business strategy development and implementation internationally both in start-ups and in a world leading agribusiness.
His current position, as Regulatory and Stewardship Lead of Syngenta Australasia, sees him lead a team to develop and implement regulatory strategies and sustainability initiatives, and to strengthen links to government and industry.
In earlier roles, Bob lead fast growing crop seed businesses in North East Asia and across APAC delivering extended periods of business development, profitable growth and commercialisation of new technologies. Other roles within the sector saw Bob based in North Carolina as a Member of the Global Leadership Team for Syngenta Vegetables. In this role, Bob piloted new business models and technologies in north and south America, implementing a new global strategy for bringing seed and crop protection together into a single grower focused business.
Bob has Director experience in agribusinesses in start-up companies as CEO and Director of ForBio Asia Pty Ltd and ForBio Robotics Pty Ltd and in Asia as President and Director of Seoul Seeds Korea. Such experience has provided Bob with a broad and deep understanding of what it takes to be a Director in the agriculture sector, especially in start-up businesses and those that focus on plant technologies.
Carolyn McNally has more than 20 years' experience as a senior executive in the Commonwealth and New South Wales governments, most recently as Secretary of the NSW Department of Planning and Environment. She has overseen a broad array of NSW Government policy initiatives, many focused on improving strategic planning, processes and systems and undertaking planned, coordinated investment.
As Deputy Director-General of Transport for NSW, McNally led the state's first transport master-planning process, successfully implementing a comprehensive overhaul of 40-year-old state planning legislation. As a federal government senior executive, she was the first to hold the role of Assistant Secretary for Infrastructure; she's also held positions in regional development, human services and health, managing major Medicare and Pharmaceutical Benefits initiatives and programs. In all her roles, McNally has led major policy development to achieve key government objectives.
In recognition of her outstanding public-sector work, the NSW Government recently named McNally one of the top 50 women in the public sector; The Sydney Morning Herald called her one of the 20 most influential women in Sydney.
Craig Shephard has over 20 years professional experience in the mapping of landscape attributes - particularly land cover and land use.
Craig previously led the Queensland Land Use Mapping Program, within the Department of Environment and Science. Using remote sensing in combination with field survey techniques, Craig was responsible for the management and administration of the mapping program, managing a team of scientists in the compilation of land use and land use change mapping products. A highlight for the team was winning ‘Best Thematic Map' at the 2019 Esri International User Conference.
Craig holds a Bachelor of Science majoring in Environmental Science and Geography from Macquarie University, and is particularly focused on the application of web-based Geographic Information System (GIS) technology. Location is the common framework for integrating data to inform decision-making, at multiple scales. Delivering spatial information via web-GIS has opened up the power of spatial data to anyone, on any device.
Specialising in the Esri platform, Craig applies a range of location-based tools (Survey123 and Collector for ArcGIS) to capture spatial data, analyse and compile mapping products in ArcGIS Pro, and using ArcGIS Online and Web App Builder for ArcGIS-deliver spatial information via an ever growing range of web apps. A selection of these can be launched from the AARSC Industry Applications and Maps page www.une.edu.au/webapps.
Dr Ahmed WA Hammad is a Senior Lecturer at UNSW Built Environment, UNSW Sydney. His research focuses on the use of operational research (OR) techniques, including machine learning and mathematical optimisation, linked with digital engineering platforms such as Building Information Modelling (BIM) and City Information Modelling (CIM), for enhancing decision-making and sustainability in the built environment. His past works included the introduction of a systematic framework that relies on neural networks and BIM for building performance enhancement, along with proposing a mathematical optimisation platform for organising construction sites to improve productivity and enhance safety by minimising high noise level exposure. Dr Hammad has an extensive industry background in BIM implementation, virtual reality, prefabrication, optimised design and scheduling techniques.
Dr Chris Cazzonelli is a Senior Lecturer in Plant Molecular Biology at Western Sydney University (WSU). He completed his Bachelor of Science (Honours Class I) at the University of Queensland (UQ) and won an Australian Postgraduate Award to study mechanical stress gene regulation, receiving a PhD in plant molecular biology and plant genetic engineering from UQ in 2002. Dr Cazzonelli subsequently won a prestigious Postdoctoral Fellowship with the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to investigate the molecular nature of gene activation, gene silencing and remote sensing of stress events in plants. In 2006, Dr Cazzonelli was recruited by the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Energy Biology at the Australian National University (ANU) to explore what regulates the production of health-promoting carotenoid metabolites in plants. He was awarded the coveted Goldacre Medal by the Australian Society of Plant Biologists in 2010. Dr Cazzonelli now leads the Environmental Epigenetics Laboratory (EEL) at WSU, working to better understand the molecular and physiological mechanisms that facilitate metabolic homeostasis, prime plant-stress acclimation, and program plant adaptation to changes in the environment (such as changes in light quality, CO2 levels, mechanical stress, acoustic vibration and heatwaves). The EEL links memory-forming processes to metabolite signalling and genetic regulation that controls the production of micronutrients; that has follow-on benefits for human and animal health. It is ‘a scientific factory of discovery and knowledge, advancing education, biological understanding, horticultural protected cropping, tree genomics, crop nutrition and environmental sustainability of agriculture'.
Dr Gal Winter is a microbiologist studying microbial ecology in human and plant environments. For the past four years Gal has been working as a lecturer and Course Coordinator for the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences at the University of New England. Gal has won several awards for excellence in teaching and research and has published her research outcomes in renowned professional journals. In 2008, Gal moved from Israel to Australia to chase her professional dream of working on microbial food biotechnology and her personal dream of living the Australian lifestyle. She received an international PhD scholarship from the University of Western Sydney and worked in collaboration with the Australian Wine Research Institute on wine fermentation, graduating her PhD in 2013. She then commenced a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Queensland, working on microbial biotechnology for the production of value-added chemicals.
Job Titles:
- Food Regulation, Product Development
- Research Project Coordinator
Dr Maria Veronica Chandra-Hioe is a food and nutritional scientist with a focus on public health and food security. Skilled in food composition and in the determination of nutrients in foods and feeds, she has additional capabilities in analytical chemistry and cell culture techniques. Dr Chandra-Hioe was engaged in research work within the UNSW Faculty of Engineering's School of Chemical Engineering before joining Future Food Systems in April 2021 as the CRC's Research Project Coordinator.
Dr Nisha Rakhesh works closely with the WSU's Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment researchers establishing and maintaining professional working relationships with key industry and government organisations. She provides comprehensive advice to researchers on grant development, negotiates with external partners and liaises with the Office of Research Services to ensure applications meet target objectives. Her duties also include analysing data on research performance and providing advice to the Director of Research about future research strategies.
Job Titles:
- Administration Officer
- Executive
Fiona Simson is a prominent innovator and influencer in the Australian agrifood sector and brings a wealth of leadership and governance expertise, gained in roles including President of the National Farmers' Federation (NFF), Deputy Chair of NRMA, Director of the Australia Made Campaign and a Director of AgStewardship Australia, and Chair to the Future Food Systems CRC Board.
With a passion for the food and research sectors and an appreciation of the specific operating challenges faced by NFPs, Maggie Dowling brings business acumen and extensive Board, Committee and executive-management experience to the CRC Board.
She has 15 years' experience in the grains and food industry, including Director of the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics and Chair of the Malting Barley Quality Improvement Program, and has held numerous directorships in the NFP and private sectors (notably, as an executive in a top ASX-listed company) as well as positions on state and federal government committees - including establishing the South Australian Food Strategy for the SA Government.
Dowling holds an MBA from the University of Adelaide and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. As General Manager of CRC CARE Ltd (the Cooperative Research Centre for Contamination and Remediation of the Environment), she has first-hand experience of what it takes to run a successful CRC.
Her strong practical understanding of the governance, operational, financial, and human-resource issues that face 21 st century organisations, especially those undergoing significant growth and sector reforms, will be of immense value to the Board.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Non - Executive Director
- Senior Executive
Mark Prendergast is an experienced senior executive and non-executive director with more than 20 years' experience in the food industry, in Australia and the United States. He currently serves as Global Markets Director for AB Mauri, a leader in yeast and ingredients with operations in 32 countries. Mark recently returned to Australia from the United States after serving as President of the North American Region of AB Mauri for more than eight years.
While in the United States he served as a senior non-executive director for the Cortex Innovation Community in St Louis Missouri and was a member of the Executive Committee as well as Chairing the Audit Committee.
Mark is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a graduate of the INSEAD Asian International Executive Program, a member of the Chartered Accountants in Australia and New Zealand and holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree from the University of NSW.
Mark brings to Future Food Systems CRC a passion for innovation and a track record of success in commercialising novel technology into both the food industry and other end use markets in multiple geographies. He has direct experience in driving results through collaboration between research institutions, start-up technology companies and multinational corporations.
UNSW Associate Professor Pat Spicer's broad-ranging career spans industry, academia and two continents. The constants? Complex fluids and collaboration.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors
Peter Schutz OAM has over 50 years experience and achievement in the Food and Agriculture industry. He retired as Executive Chair of Food Innovation Australia Ltd in July 2019. His current Board roles include Chair of The Lupin Co, Chair and President of Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology and Director of Fermentation Tasmania Ltd. Peter and his wife also have an active involvement in the family farm in South Western NSW growing mixed cereal crops and rice.
Peter's recent Board and Advisory roles include Ministerial Appointee to Growth Centre Advisory Committee, Chair of Food Safety Advisory Committee at Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Co Chair of CSIRO Agriculture & Food Advisory Committee and Chair of the Federal Government's Food Waste Reduction Initiative. He has previously served on the Boards of Value Added Wheat CRC and Grain Foods CRC.
Peter is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Institute of Food Science & Technology. He was formerly Group Technical Director of George Weston Foods Ltd and CEO of George Weston Technologies.
Job Titles:
- Industry
- Specialist, Professor
An agricultural scientist and weed specialist, Professor Brian Sindel has extensive research and research management experience from The University of Sydney, CSIRO and University of New England, Armidale. His research roles include more than 25 projects across natural environments and the horticulture, grains, grazing and cotton industries.
Prof. Sindel edited the first Australian textbook on integrated weed management (IWM) through his involvement in the former Weeds CRC and has published more than 180 scientific and extension publications. He is a reviewer for US and Canadian competitive grant programs and for 25 high-ranking scientific journals, an examiner of postgraduate theses for 15 universities across Australia and overseas and has been chair of UNE's Academic Board Research Committee for several years.
Prof. Sindel has more than 25 years' experience as a university lecturer and researcher, the past decade of it as Professor and Theme Leader, Plant, Soil and Environment Systems in the School of Environmental and Rural Science at UNE.
Job Titles:
- Director of the Australia - China Joint Research Centre for Future Dairy Manufacturing
- Professor of Chemical Engineering at UNSW
- Research & Commercialisation Director
Dr Cordelia Selomulya joined UNSW in late 2019 as a Professor (Food & Health) in the School of Chemical Engineering and as Research & Commercialisation Director for the Future Food Systems CRC.
Prior to her relocation to UNSW she was an ARC Future Fellow at Monash University, where she also led the Biotechnology and Food Engineering group, which had an internationally recognised reputation in particle engineering and drying technology research, particularly for food and dairy applications. At the time this was the only facility in Australia for functional particle assembly via microfluidic spray drying.
The unique spray dryer, which Prof. Selomulya brings with her to UNSW, can also be used to synthesise other types of particles, including thermal-sensitive and bioactive particles, microparticles for controlled release and microencapsulation, magnetic and fluorescent composites, and mesoporous microspheres with hierarchal structures and properties superior to those observed on nanomaterials (Prov. Patent AU2013904021). The method is scalable and is potentially a cost-effective, energy- and material-efficient route to producing high-quality powders with improved functionality and ease of handling.
Prof. Selomulya is the director of the Australia-China Joint Research Centre for Future Dairy Manufacturing, a joint strategic initiative funded by the Australian and Chinese governments and industry partners in both countries, including Bega, Saputo Dairy Australia, Fonterra, Gardiner Foundation, COFCO and Mengniu Dairy. She was also the director of Graduate Research Industry Partnership (GRIP) for the Food and Dairy industry at Monash University. She was an ARC Future Fellow (2014 - 2018) and has been an adjunct professor at Soochow University since 2013.
Her other interdisciplinary research is on the design of nanoparticle vaccines and mesoporous materials, and includes developing multi-stage vaccines for, and designing a more efficient DNA vaccine delivery system for malaria; and understanding the role of nanoparticle adjuvants for ovarian cancer vaccines.
Cordelia Selomulya is a Professor of Chemical Engineering at UNSW and has taken up a lead role in the Future Food Systems CRC as its Director of Research and Commercialisation. She brings extensive experience working with industry partners, including Bega,
Job Titles:
- Scientific Research Director for the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre
Distinguished Professor David Tissue is the Scientific Research Director for the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre (NVPCC) and Discipline Leader for Agriculture and Food Science at WSU. He has a long history of working alongside agricultural industries in the United States and Australia.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Agribusiness and Value Chains at the University of New England
Derek Baker is Professor of Agribusiness and Value Chains at the University of New England (UNE). His research interests lie in the measurement and analysis of food industry performance, particularly with regard to the development of empirical supply-chain analysis. A research and project manager by profession, Prof. Baker has worked in the private and public sectors of food, farm and primary industry in more than 40 countries.
Job Titles:
- Professor
- Research Lead Program 1
Dr Douglas Baker is a Professor in the School of Built Environment at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia. His areas of expertise include land use planning, airport management, regional air transport and infrastructure logistics. He has worked across the airport and air transport sectors in Australia, Canada and Europe.
Dr Douglas Baker is a Professor in the School of Built Environment at Queensland University of Technology (QUT) in Brisbane, Australia. His areas of expertise include land-use planning, airport management, regional air transport and infrastructure logistics. He has worked across the airport and air transport sectors in Australia, Canada and Europe. Prior to coming to Australia, Dr Baker worked in the public and private sectors, and was acting Head of the School of Environmental Planning at the University of Northern British Columbia, Canada. Currently, he is working on a variety of projects including an international collaboration with the University of Cologne evaluating the planning of airports within the urban context; parking logistics with Brisbane City Council and the iMove CRC; and food-hub planning and logistics with the Future Food Systems CRC.
Professor Anderson has an accomplished record of achievement in research, education and leadership as Director of Western Sydney University's first research institute, the Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment (HIE). HIE is now home to more than 60 world-class academics and 90 postgraduate research students whose expertise spans the full spectrum of life sciences research, from genes to ecosystems. In addition to his leadership role with HIE, Prof. Anderson is Director of the National Vegetable Protected Cropping Centre (NVPCC), also based at Western Sydney University's Hawkesbury campus.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Research Lead Program 3
Professor Jeremy Nicholson is Pro Vice Chancellor of Health Sciences at Murdoch University in Perth, Western Australia, where he leads the recently-launched Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC).
In 2012, Nicholson was appointed Director and Principle Investigator of the MRC-NIHR National Phenome Centre based at Imperial College London, where he had led the Department of Surgery and Cancer since 2009. In 2018, he became Emeritus Professor of Biological Chemistry at Imperial College. The same year, Prof. Nicholson moved to Perth to take up his role as PVC of Health Sciences at Murdoch.
Nicholson holds honorary professorships at 12 universities and multiple professorships at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, to which he was elected as an Albert Einstein Honorary Professor in 2014. He was recently appointed as a special adviser to the Minister of Health in Western Australia.
He is also founder-director, chief scientist and chief scientist officer at Metabometrix, an Imperial College London spin-off company specialising in molecular phenotyping, clinical diagnostics and toxicological screening via metabonomics and metabolomics.
Prof. Nicholson's research interests include spectroscopic and chemometric approaches to the investigation of disturbed metabolic processes in complex organisms. He is known for having developed metabonomics, also referred to as metabolic profiling.
He brings world-leading research expertise to his role as the CRC's Research Program 3 lead.
Job Titles:
- Professor of Urban Informatics
- Trade
Marcus Foth is Professor of Urban Informatics in the QUT Design Lab, Faculty of Creative Industries, Education, and Social Justice, at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane. He is also an Honorary Professor in the School of Communication and Culture at Aarhus University, Denmark. Marcus' research brings together people, place, and technology. His current research foci include: urban media and geoprivacy; data care in smart cities; digital inclusion and participation; blockchain and food supply chains, and; sustainability and more-than-human futures.
Professor Priti Krishna has a strong background in diverse but related disciplines, such as microbiology (MSc), medical biochemistry (PhD), plant molecular biology (academic career at Western University, Canada) and agronomy (University of New England, Australia), and proven record of leadership in developing and executing pioneering research projects. She joined Western Sydney University in 2017 as the Foundation Chair in Sustainable Agriculture and has been actively leading campus-wide renewal of Agriculture. She held individual NSERC Discovery Grants throughout her academic career in Canada and was a particpant in large-sized collaborative projects funded by Networks of Centers of Excellence, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Ontario Research Fund. At Western Sydney University, she has been a key player in the development of the recently awarded Future Food Systems CRC project.