Speakers
We are looking forward to welcoming a wide selection of speakers to Hort Connections 2024!
Hort Connections always delivers a diverse and educational range of speakers who present on a wide range of industry topics. Browse the list of confirmed speakers below and stay tuned for upcoming speaker announcements.
GIAAN ROONEY
Master of Ceremonies,
Hort Connections
Giaan Rooney’s memorable smile, natural beauty and ability to engage are almost trumped by her enormous energy for work. An adept speaker and presenter, Giaan is a person of enormous talent and professionalism.
ADAM BENJAMIN
Founder & CEO,
Standard Botanic
Adam Benjamin started Standard Botanic as a nursery to service licensed cannabis cultivators in Australia and neighbouring countries, providing cuttings derived from the Company’s outstanding genetics.
ALANA RYAN
Lawyer,
NS8 Lawyers & Advisors
Alana has had a diverse professional career and now specialises in employment law, safety and compliance with a specific focus in the horticulture industry.
ANDREW INGLIS
Director,
Cellysis Pty Ltd
Andrew Inglis is an industrial R&D food scientist with mechanical engineering, process development and research experience, commissioning his first Food Safety process in 1991.
ANDREW MUIR
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director,
E.E. Muir & Sons
A proven performer with over 20 years in the family business, Andrew was appointed CEO and Managing Director of E.E. Muir & Sons and its associated entities in July 2019.
ANDREW TOUT
Head of Agriculture/Chair,
Centuria Capital Group/Protected Cropping Australia
Andrew is a sixth generation agriculturalist with broad practical experience and passion for creating financially and environmentally sustainable investments.
BELINDA VAN SCHAIK
Head of Customer Marketing,
Hort Innovation
Belinda Van Schaik is Head of Customer Marketing at Hort Innovation, responsible for delivery of marketing programs that drive demand for Australian Horticulture.
BEN HOODLESS
Managing Director A-NZ,
International Fresh Produce Association
Ben has over 20 years’ experience working in A-NZ and South-East Asia for large multinational R&D companies. With a global mindset, Ben is committed to delivering value for IFPA members, both in A-NZ, but also globally.
BROOKE HANSON OLY OAM
Chief Motivation Officer,
Lane 6 Australia Pty Ltd
Brooke Hanson OLY OAM, an Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist empowers people to live a purpose driven life, motivating individuals and inspiring organisations to achieve greatness.
CALLUM MCCLUSKEY
Head of Sales,
AgriSmart
As the Head of Sales at AgriSmart, Callum's primary objective is to drive growth by promoting and introducing an innovative suite of software solutions for timesheet management, payroll, job costing and HR.
CAMPBELL BANFIELD
Divisional Manager - Grape Marketing,
Costa Group
Campbell Banfield is the Divisional Manager of Costas Table Grape Category overseeing farming, operations, sales, and marketing. He joined Costa in 2011 and has over a decade of experience in the table grape industry.
DR CATHY WILKINSON
Chief Executive Officer,
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation
Dr Cathy Wilkinson is CEO of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and has over 20 years leadership experience in sustainable development in Australia and Europe.
CLINTON MULLER
Senior Consultant,
RMCG
As a Senior Consultant at RMCG, Clinton is uniquely placed to provide an independent perspective of the drivers, implications and decision points for horticulture producers around the emerging carbon farming space.
DR CRAIG EMERSON
Managing Director,
Emerson Economics
Dr Craig Emerson is an eminent economist with 40 years’ experience in public policy, politics and public service.
DANNY THORNTON
General Manager,
Agreva & Sustainable Farming Solutions
Danny has a strong technical and operational foundation in citriculture and a passion for sustainable agriculture developed over multiple years within the industry.
DEAN PARSONS
Sustainability Programmes Manager,
CHEP Australia
Dean Parsons engages with the horticulture industry to increase their understanding and awareness of the environmental benefits of CHEP’s inherently circular business model, and how partnering leads to regenerative sustainable supply chain.
DEBBIE LEE
National Womens and Action Plan Lead,
Australian Football League
Often referred to as a pioneer of Women's Football for her work both on and off the field, Debbie’s extensive experience in the football industry has lifted her into the top echelons of Australian Sport.
ELISA SILIATO
National Marketing and Innovation Manager,
Costa Group - Mushroom and Tomatoes
Elisa Siliato is the National Marketing and Innovation Manager for the Mushroom and Tomato category at Costa, where she leads and develops initiatives to unlock the category's potential and drive product and category growth.
EMMA HERD
Partner Climate Change & Sustainability & Co-Leader of the EY Net Zero Centre,
Ernst Young
Emma is a Partner with EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability team and the Co-leader of the EY Net Zero Centre with over 20 years’ experience in climate change, sustainable finance and sustainability practice.
FRANCOIS VISSER
Founder/Managing Director,
Carbon Friendly
Francois Visser drives Carbon Friendly, a team of soil and carbon specialists empowering agriculture for climate change solutions.
GEORGIA STORMONT
Sales & High Performing Teams Coach,
Curious Georgia Coaching
With an impressive career spanning 20 years in sales and 15 years in Ag, Georgia has harnessed her extensive expertise to establish her own coaching business. She does so by seamlessly intertwines her 2 passions: horticulture and coaching.
HENRIETTA CHILD
CEO,
Agricultural Picking Technology (AgPick)
AgPick CEO Henrietta Child is an IT professional and software developer. She co-founded AgPick Technology in 2017 and developed the AgPick app to help fresh produce growers embrace digital tools to manage their harvests.
JADE KING
Director & Owner,
Green Valley Fingerlimes
Jade King is a passionate fingerlime producer on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and Chair of the Australian Native Fingerlime Alliance (ANFA). Having travelled extensively, she has an extensive knowledge of fingerlime production worldwide.
JANE BUNN
Founder and CEO/Meteorologist and Weather Presenter,
Jane's Weather/Seven Network
Jane is Channel 7 Melbourne’s resident weather forecaster and presenter, as well as Founder and CEO of Jane founded Jane’s Weather.
JASON STOTT
First Assistant Secretary - Pacific Labour Operations,
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Mr Jason Stott heads the Senior Executive team delivering Australian domestic operations of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme.
DR JILL STANLEY
Science Group Leader - Fruit Crops Physiology,
Plant & Food Research
Dr Jill Stanley leads a team of more than 50 people focused on research that improves fruit quality and productivity of perennial fruit crops.
JOHN SAID
Founder/CEO,
Fresh Select & NutriV
John brings excellent strength in strategy and business management, with his approach seeing the Fresh Select business grow and diversify into a fresh produce farming and distribution business.
JULIAN HORSLEY
Systems Division Manager,
A&D Australasia
Julian Horsley's expertise lies in weighing and measurement solutions, with over 30 years’ experience in delivering retail compliant product inspection and data capture systems.
LUCY BLOOM
Former Chief Executive Officer,
Sunrise Cambodia and Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia
Lucy is an award-winning leader and speaker. She is a change-maker, exceptional communicator, and business fixer with the best mohawk in the business. You will find her challenging and entertaining in equal measure.
MAARTEN VAN DELDEN
Sales Development,
Tolsma Australia
Growing up on a Seed Potato Farm in Holland, I've spent the past 15 years travelling around the world educating people on the best practices for long-term storage of potatoes & onions. We've started Tolsma Australia in 2018.
MATTHEW CROUCH
Co-Founder/Creative Director,
Soto Group
Matthew Crouch is co-founder and creative director of Soto Group, a Melbourne-based creative agency focused on fresh produce that delivers an educational, creative experience for all.
MATTHEW PALISE
Director,
Red Rich Fruits (NSW)
Matt Palise is the director of Red Rich Fruits (NSW), an Australian family-owned grower, packer and marketer of mangoes, citrus, apples, pears and stone fruit.
MAYA SHEHAYEB
General Manager - Australasia,
Euromonitor International
Maya is the General Manager of Australasia at Euromonitor International with more than 15 years of experience in market research and consulting, having supported businesses across wide-ranging industries.
MELISSA SMITH
Horticulture Lead and Technical Account Manager,
End Food Waste Australia
With over 20 years’ experience in agriculture, Melissa is leading the first nation-wide project on reducing food waste from horticulture.
DR MICHAEL CONSIDINE
Principal Research Fellow,
University of Western Australia
Mick is Principal Research Fellow, jointly funded by the University of WA and Dept Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA).
DR NEIL WILSON
Director of Research,
Metagen Pty Ltd
Dr Neil Wilson is a microbial ecologist with more than 20 years research experience. After many years as a university-based researcher, he became Director of Research at Metagen 5 years ago.
NATHAN MACPHEE
Founder,
IIF (Invest Inya Farmer)
Nathan MacPhee is the founder of IIF (Invest Inya Farmer), and a former financial services CEO who loves solving problems other people don’t see.
PAUL OMODEI
Consultant,
Planfarm
Paul is a director of Planfarm and has been instrumental in developing the vegetable and onion industry business performance benchmarks both in Western Australia and the national program, Level Up Hort.
PENNY MEASHAM
Director of Tropical Fruit and Market Access,
Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
QDAF’s Director of Tropical Fruit and Market Access Penny Measham will discuss how continued export growth requires access to new and emerging markets as well as securing the current markets.
DR PETER BATT
Professor, Food and Agribusiness,
Curtin University
As Professor, Food and Agribusiness at Curtin University in Perth WA, Dr Peter Batt also maintains his own international consultancy business.
PIA PIGGOTT
RaboResearch Associate Analyst,
Rabobank
Pia Piggott is an associate analyst at RaboResearch focusing in horticulture, viticulture and sugar markets. Prior to working at Rabobank Pia worked as a research assistant at Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre and associate at Purposeful.
REEANJOU RAM
CEO,
iTrazo Tracetech
Reeanjou Ram is a trailblazer who leverages digital technology to solve agricultural traceability challenges.
DR SARAH OXFORD
Senior Researcher,
Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research at Monash University
Dr Sarah Oxford is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) at Monash University. She is passionate about making work on farms safer through practical solutions.
SHANE SCHNITZLER
Chair,
Fresh Markets Australia
With a profound commitment spanning over 35 years, including 13 years in retail, Shane brings a rich expertise to his leadership roles and the entire sector.
SU MCCLUSKEY
Special Representative for Australian Agriculture,
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
As the inaugural Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, Ms McCluskey is a prominent voice to promote Australia’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, to the multilateral system and to the principles that underpin global trade in agricultural goods and products.
SUSANNAH ROELOFSZ
Technical Officer,
Fresh Produce Safety Centre
Susannah holds a Master of Science Degree in Microbiology with over 20 years of Global Experience gained through a range of areas within the horticulture industry.
TAMARA MURUETAGOIENA
Vice President of Sustainability,
International Fresh Produce Association
Tamara Muruetagoiena brings over two decades of experience in sustainability for agriculture and forestry to her role, having worked in both policy and academia.
TIM SIDES
Director,
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Tim is the Director of the Landscapes, Innovation and Adoption Program for the Future Drought Fund within the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. A 5th generation farmer, Tim grew up on the edge of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and has been around horticulture most of his life.
WAYNE PROWSE
Principal and Senior Analyst,
Fresh Intelligence Consulting
Wayne Prowse commenced his marketing career at Edgell Birds Eye (now Simplot) and worked through domestic and export marketing roles at Horticulture Australia, and the Department of Agriculture before establishing Fresh Intelligence Consulting.
GIAAN ROONEY
Master of Ceremonies,
Hort Connections
Giaan Rooney’s memorable smile, natural beauty and ability to engage are almost trumped by her enormous energy for work. An adept speaker and presenter, Giaan is a person of enormous talent and professionalism.
BROOKE HANSON OLY OAM
Chief Motivation Officer,
Lane 6 Australia Pty Ltd
Brooke Hanson OLY OAM, an Olympic Gold and Silver Medallist empowers people to live a purpose driven life, motivating individuals and inspiring organisations to achieve greatness.
DR CATHY WILKINSON
Chief Executive Officer,
Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation
Dr Cathy Wilkinson is CEO of the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and has over 20 years leadership experience in sustainable development in Australia and Europe.
CLINTON MULLER
Senior Consultant,
RMCG
As a Senior Consultant at RMCG, Clinton is uniquely placed to provide an independent perspective of the drivers, implications and decision points for horticulture producers around the emerging carbon farming space.
DEAN PARSONS
Sustainability Programmes Manager,
CHEP Australia
Dean Parsons engages with the horticulture industry to increase their understanding and awareness of the environmental benefits of CHEP’s inherently circular business model, and how partnering leads to regenerative sustainable supply chain.
DEBBIE LEE
National Womens and Action Plan Lead,
Australian Football League
Often referred to as a pioneer of Women's Football for her work both on and off the field, Debbie’s extensive experience in the football industry has lifted her into the top echelons of Australian Sport.
FRANCOIS VISSER
Founder/Managing Director,
Carbon Friendly
Francois Visser drives Carbon Friendly, a team of soil and carbon specialists empowering agriculture for climate change solutions.
DR JILL STANLEY
Science Group Leader - Fruit Crops Physiology,
Plant & Food Research
Dr Jill Stanley leads a team of more than 50 people focused on research that improves fruit quality and productivity of perennial fruit crops.
MAYA SHEHAYEB
General Manager - Australasia,
Euromonitor International
Maya is the General Manager of Australasia at Euromonitor International with more than 15 years of experience in market research and consulting, having supported businesses across wide-ranging industries.
DR MICHAEL CONSIDINE
Principal Research Fellow,
University of Western Australia
Mick is Principal Research Fellow, jointly funded by the University of WA and Dept Primary Industries and Regional Development (WA).
DR SARAH OXFORD
Senior Researcher,
Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research at Monash University
Dr Sarah Oxford is a Senior Researcher at the Institute for Safety, Compensation and Recovery Research (ISCRR) at Monash University. She is passionate about making work on farms safer through practical solutions.
SUSANNAH ROELOFSZ
Technical Officer,
Fresh Produce Safety Centre
Susannah holds a Master of Science Degree in Microbiology with over 20 years of Global Experience gained through a range of areas within the horticulture industry.
WAYNE PROWSE
Principal and Senior Analyst,
Fresh Intelligence Consulting
Wayne Prowse commenced his marketing career at Edgell Birds Eye (now Simplot) and worked through domestic and export marketing roles at Horticulture Australia, and the Department of Agriculture before establishing Fresh Intelligence Consulting.
GIAAN ROONEY
Master of Ceremonies,
Hort Connections
Giaan Rooney’s memorable smile, natural beauty and ability to engage are almost trumped by her enormous energy for work. An adept speaker and presenter, Giaan is a person of enormous talent and professionalism.
BEN HOODLESS
Managing Director A-NZ,
International Fresh Produce Association
Ben has over 20 years’ experience working in A-NZ and South-East Asia for large multinational R&D companies. With a global mindset, Ben is committed to delivering value for IFPA members, both in A-NZ, but also globally.
DR CRAIG EMERSON
Managing Director,
Emerson Economics
Dr Craig Emerson is an eminent economist with 40 years’ experience in public policy, politics and public service.
EMMA HERD
Partner Climate Change & Sustainability & Co-Leader of the EY Net Zero Centre,
Ernst Young
Emma is a Partner with EY’s Climate Change and Sustainability team and the Co-leader of the EY Net Zero Centre with over 20 years’ experience in climate change, sustainable finance and sustainability practice.
JOHN SAID
Founder/CEO,
Fresh Select & NutriV
John brings excellent strength in strategy and business management, with his approach seeing the Fresh Select business grow and diversify into a fresh produce farming and distribution business.
LUCY BLOOM
Former Chief Executive Officer,
Sunrise Cambodia and Hamlin Fistula Ethiopia
Lucy is an award-winning leader and speaker. She is a change-maker, exceptional communicator, and business fixer with the best mohawk in the business. You will find her challenging and entertaining in equal measure.
SU MCCLUSKEY
Special Representative for Australian Agriculture,
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
As the inaugural Special Representative for Australian Agriculture, Ms McCluskey is a prominent voice to promote Australia’s commitment to sustainable agriculture, to the multilateral system and to the principles that underpin global trade in agricultural goods and products.
TAMARA MURUETAGOIENA
Vice President of Sustainability,
International Fresh Produce Association
Tamara Muruetagoiena brings over two decades of experience in sustainability for agriculture and forestry to her role, having worked in both policy and academia.
ADAM BENJAMIN
Founder & CEO,
Standard Botanic
Adam Benjamin started Standard Botanic as a nursery to service licensed cannabis cultivators in Australia and neighbouring countries, providing cuttings derived from the Company’s outstanding genetics.
ANDREW INGLIS
Director,
Cellysis Pty Ltd
Andrew Inglis is an industrial R&D food scientist with mechanical engineering, process development and research experience, commissioning his first Food Safety process in 1991.
ANDREW MUIR
Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director,
E.E. Muir & Sons
A proven performer with over 20 years in the family business, Andrew was appointed CEO and Managing Director of E.E. Muir & Sons and its associated entities in July 2019.
BELINDA VAN SCHAIK
Head of Customer Marketing,
Hort Innovation
Belinda Van Schaik is Head of Customer Marketing at Hort Innovation, responsible for delivery of marketing programs that drive demand for Australian Horticulture.
CALLUM MCCLUSKEY
Head of Sales,
AgriSmart
As the Head of Sales at AgriSmart, Callum's primary objective is to drive growth by promoting and introducing an innovative suite of software solutions for timesheet management, payroll, job costing and HR.
CAMPBELL BANFIELD
Divisional Manager - Grape Marketing,
Costa Group
Campbell Banfield is the Divisional Manager of Costas Table Grape Category overseeing farming, operations, sales, and marketing. He joined Costa in 2011 and has over a decade of experience in the table grape industry.
ELISA SILIATO
National Marketing and Innovation Manager,
Costa Group - Mushroom and Tomatoes
Elisa Siliato is the National Marketing and Innovation Manager for the Mushroom and Tomato category at Costa, where she leads and develops initiatives to unlock the category's potential and drive product and category growth.
GEORGIA STORMONT
Sales & High Performing Teams Coach,
Curious Georgia Coaching
With an impressive career spanning 20 years in sales and 15 years in Ag, Georgia has harnessed her extensive expertise to establish her own coaching business. She does so by seamlessly intertwines her 2 passions: horticulture and coaching.
HENRIETTA CHILD
CEO,
Agricultural Picking Technology (AgPick)
AgPick CEO Henrietta Child is an IT professional and software developer. She co-founded AgPick Technology in 2017 and developed the AgPick app to help fresh produce growers embrace digital tools to manage their harvests.
JADE KING
Director & Owner,
Green Valley Fingerlimes
Jade King is a passionate fingerlime producer on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland and Chair of the Australian Native Fingerlime Alliance (ANFA). Having travelled extensively, she has an extensive knowledge of fingerlime production worldwide.
JASON STOTT
First Assistant Secretary - Pacific Labour Operations,
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
Mr Jason Stott heads the Senior Executive team delivering Australian domestic operations of the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility scheme.
MAARTEN VAN DELDEN
Sales Development,
Tolsma Australia
Growing up on a Seed Potato Farm in Holland, I've spent the past 15 years travelling around the world educating people on the best practices for long-term storage of potatoes & onions. We've started Tolsma Australia in 2018.
MATTHEW CROUCH
Co-Founder/Creative Director,
Soto Group
Matthew Crouch is co-founder and creative director of Soto Group, a Melbourne-based creative agency focused on fresh produce that delivers an educational, creative experience for all.
MATTHEW PALISE
Director,
Red Rich Fruits (NSW)
Matt Palise is the director of Red Rich Fruits (NSW), an Australian family-owned grower, packer and marketer of mangoes, citrus, apples, pears and stone fruit.
MELISSA SMITH
Horticulture Lead and Technical Account Manager,
End Food Waste Australia
With over 20 years’ experience in agriculture, Melissa is leading the first nation-wide project on reducing food waste from horticulture.
DR NEIL WILSON
Director of Research,
Metagen Pty Ltd
Dr Neil Wilson is a microbial ecologist with more than 20 years research experience. After many years as a university-based researcher, he became Director of Research at Metagen 5 years ago.
NATHAN MACPHEE
Founder,
IIF (Invest Inya Farmer)
Nathan MacPhee is the founder of IIF (Invest Inya Farmer), and a former financial services CEO who loves solving problems other people don’t see.
PAUL OMODEI
Consultant,
Planfarm
Paul is a director of Planfarm and has been instrumental in developing the vegetable and onion industry business performance benchmarks both in Western Australia and the national program, Level Up Hort.
PENNY MEASHAM
Director of Tropical Fruit and Market Access,
Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries
QDAF’s Director of Tropical Fruit and Market Access Penny Measham will discuss how continued export growth requires access to new and emerging markets as well as securing the current markets.
DR PETER BATT
Professor, Food and Agribusiness,
Curtin University
As Professor, Food and Agribusiness at Curtin University in Perth WA, Dr Peter Batt also maintains his own international consultancy business.
PIA PIGGOTT
RaboResearch Associate Analyst,
Rabobank
Pia Piggott is an associate analyst at RaboResearch focusing in horticulture, viticulture and sugar markets. Prior to working at Rabobank Pia worked as a research assistant at Australian Export Grains Innovation Centre and associate at Purposeful.
REEANJOU RAM
CEO,
iTrazo Tracetech
Reeanjou Ram is a trailblazer who leverages digital technology to solve agricultural traceability challenges.
SHANE SCHNITZLER
Chair,
Fresh Markets Australia
With a profound commitment spanning over 35 years, including 13 years in retail, Shane brings a rich expertise to his leadership roles and the entire sector.
TAMARA MURUETAGOIENA
Vice President of Sustainability,
International Fresh Produce Association
Tamara Muruetagoiena brings over two decades of experience in sustainability for agriculture and forestry to her role, having worked in both policy and academia.
TIM SIDES
Director,
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
Tim is the Director of the Landscapes, Innovation and Adoption Program for the Future Drought Fund within the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry. A 5th generation farmer, Tim grew up on the edge of the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area and has been around horticulture most of his life.