Australian Wool Innovation’s board is in for a shakeup in November with at least three positions up for grabs

Australian Wool Innovation will have a new chair come November, with mixed livestock and cropping farmer from eastern NSW Jock Laurie set to step down due to a mandatory 10-year term limit.

It will be the first time the organisation has refreshed its board in two years, with three spots up for grabs as part of the normal director rotation process.

Mr Laurie will stand down at the 2025 AWI board elections later this year, after serving his 10-year tenure — consistent with a 2021 shareholders motion.

He is currently the longest standing existing member, having been elected to the board in 2015 before stepping into the chairman role in 2021.

The wool, lamb, beef and grain farmer — with properties at Walcha, Bendemeer and Gunnedah — has been actively involved in agricultural policy and lobbying since 2000.

He spent four years as the NSW Farmers Association president and more than two as National Farmers Federation president.

AWI has established a board nomination committee to assist with the election process.

The committee is responsible for identifying necessary and desirable director competencies, considering candidates standing for election or re-election and making non-binding recommendations to shareholders in relation to the election or re-election of candidates.

Kojonup’s Neil Jackson will join the five-person nomination committee as an independent nonexecutive director, alongside fellow board member and South Australian woolgrower George Millington.

Both are were elected at the last biennial election at the AWI AGM on November 17, 2023.

Mr Jackson has 38 years of industry experience, currently running Sunny Valley Farms — one of WA’s largest family-owned wool farms — in the Great Southern.

The third-generation woolgrower has previously served as Stud Merino Breeders’ Association of WA president and on a variety of industry bodies including Industry Management Committee for the application of the Biosecurity in Agriculture Management Act and World Merino Conference 2006 chair.

Mr Jackson said he felt it was important the AWI board had a WA representative.

“I think it’s important for the wool industry to have an understanding of the specific challenges that WA faces and to have someone on the board — whether its myself or anyone else — is a good thing to have,” he said.

Mr Millington is the owner and managing director of Collinsville Stud Merinos, where he led the acquisition and integration of the Merino studs of Collinsville and East Bungaree.

He is also a director and majority shareholder of APD Parcel Delivery, a logistics company he acquired in 2012.

The final three spots on the committee will be filled by independent chair Claudia Bels, industry representative Rich Keniry, and international executive search firm managing partner Michael Rosmarin from Johnson Partners.

The committee will meet for the first time on June 16 and will provide recommendations for the three vacant director positions to shareholders in October.

“Michelle Humphries has to stand because she’s up for re-election and then it’s between one of the other directors as to who wants to stand — we haven’t finalised that out yet. . . but there will certainly be at least one new member to replace the chairman,” Mr Jackson said.

Board member nominations open on August 28 and close on September 12.

More information about the nomination process can be found on AWI’s website or by contacting company secretary Lucy Meadley at lucy.meadley@wool.com or on 02 8295 4121.