SEVERAL major horticulture bodies have welcomed new bosses and appointed new chairs in the past few months.
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Here are some of the new faces in the lead roles.
Brett Kelly to mangoes head
BRETT Kelly has taken up the top job at the Australian Mango Industry Association.
The former Norco Cooperative CEO started in the role on March 1.
He comes to the job from his CEO role at the OzGroup, an Australian farmer owned co-operative based on the mid-coast in NSW specialising in blueberries, blackberries and raspberries.
Mr Kelly was with Norco from 2008 to 2017.
AMIA chairman Ben Martin said the industry wished Mr Kelly all the success in the role.
Mr Kelly takes over from Robert Gray who held the role for six years.
Jane Siebum takes up Freshcare role
FRESHCARE has appointed Jane Siebum as its new CEO.
Ms Siebum took up the role on January 4, taking over from interim CEO Yvonne Diab.
She joins Freshcare following three years at Scouts NSW, including two as CEO, and with extensive experience in business transformation across various industries.
"Freshcare provides such an important enabling role for the industry and I am looking forward to strengthening our position and providing a strong voice for our members and participating businesses," Ms Siebum said.
Di Pietro slips into AFPA chair
LAMANNA Premier Group CEO Anthony Di Pietro was unanimously elected as chairman of the Australian Fresh Produce Alliance (AFPA).
Mr Di Pietro was appointed CEO of LPG in 2016, following the merger of LaManna Group and Premier Fruits Group.
Prior to this appointment, Mr Di Pietro had been the CEO of Premier Fruits Group since 2003. In addition to significant experience within the horticulture industry, Mr Di Pietro is also currently the chairman of Melbourne Victory FC.
Mr Di Pietro takes up the position held by Perfection Fresh's Michael Simonetta, who served as AFPA chair during 2020.
"The past year has been particularly challenging for the horticulture industry, with the changing environment as a result of COVID creating uncertainty across domestic and export markets," Mr Di Pietro said.
Southan becomes olives chief
MICHAEL Southan will become the new CEO of the Australian Olive Association, effective April 1.
Dr Southan was a joint CEO at GrainGrowers until the end of 2018.
Prior to this he was the general manager of technical services at the organisation.
He takes over from Greg Seymour who announced his retirement. He was CEO since 2017.
Table grape role comes to Boyd
LAST November, Jeremey Boyd was appointed chair of the Australian Table Grape Association.
Mr Boyd is a former Robinvale & District Table Grape Growers Association chair (current committee
member), and said he has an interest in encouraging Australia's next generation of industry leaders.
"I look forward to working with Jeff and the ATGA board to achieve the best outcomes for growers," Mr Boyd said.
Irymple grower Rocky Mammone was appointed deputy chair.
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