WAMMCO board reshuffle

Respected farmer, investor and rural consultant Gerard O'Brien has retired as a director of the WA Meat Marketing Cooperative after eleven years of service.

Mr O'Brien will be replaced as a member director by Rod Madden, who in turn will be replaced by Planfarm managing director Greg Kirk as an independent director.

WAMMCO chairman Dawson Bradford said the board changes had been made since the last directors' meeting in January and Mr Kirk would attend his first meeting in February.

Mr Bradford said Mr Madden had agreed to a change in the status of his position from independent to member director to comply with a requirement in the Cooperatives Act that there be a majority of member directors on the board.

Mr Madden will hold his new seat until the next annual general meeting in October when it will be subject to election.

Mr Bradford said Mr O'Brien had made a stellar contribution to WAMMCO since his appointment to the board in 2003 - four years after the co-operative was formed.

"Mr O'Brien joined the board as WAMMCO was only just beginning to 'find its feet', and he played a critical role in making sure that our bottom line was always headed in the right direction. He was prepared to postpone his retirement to assist us through the takeover of Southern Meats in Goulburn which now represents a major asset for the cooperative," he said.

Mr Bradfor said Mr Kirk had served as a farm consultant in WA for more than 25 years, rising to head one of the State's most successful rural consultancies.

"As well as working closely with farmers, he has a strong grounding in finance, commerce and governance issues, and the combination of all these skills will enhance those of the current board," he said.