RawAg Podcast

Tim McGrath is Senior Agribusiness Development Officer with Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries. He has over 25 years of Agri-business development experience working across all major agricultural industries in Northern Australia. Tim has developed a passion for understanding profitable agricultural productions systems and an in-depth, field-based knowledge of the north’s resources, supply chains, opportunities and constraints. He is also recognized as an expert in livestock handling and behavior and is one of the founding members of the livestock handling movement called Low Stress Stockhandling.

Allan Parker OAM is a Micro Behavioural Scientist and Negotiator.

Allan usually introduces himself as an eccentric Micro-Behavioural Neuroscientist, International Negotiator, and Educator.

He works as a negotiator/facilitator of large-scale multi-party negotiations and disputes. Within government and private organisations, he trains in negotiation, dispute prevention and healthy considered conversations.

Allan has presented, facilitated, and moderated in over 60 different countries around the world and has had participants from 192 countries in his audience at one time at the United Nations-World Investment Forum.

He was a writer and a professor on the Masters Program of Dispute Resolution at the School of Law and Business, University of Western Sydney, where he was appointed Adjunct Professor for his contribution to the field.

In 2012, Allan wrote Australia's first degree in negotiation.

In 2020, Allan was a recipient for the Order of Australia Medal for his contribution to business and dispute resolution.

He is the author of The Negotiator’s Toolkit, the best seller Switch on Your Brain; and co-author of Beyond Yes – Negotiating and Networking.

In addition to his professional achievements, Allan has been a scratch golfer and has run 16 marathons and 11 ultra marathons (including 24 hours twice).

John McKillop has held numerous senior agribusiness roles over the past 25 years including CEO of Hassad Australia, Managing Director of Clyde Agriculture and his current role as CEO of S.Kidman & Co and Hancock Agriculture. 

In addition to executive roles, John is currently the Independent Chair of the Red Meat Advisory Council and Black Box Company. Previous non-executive roles include Chair of LAWD, and director of Dairy Farmers Milk Cooperative, Compass Agribusiness, Dairy Australia and Meat & Livestock Australia.

John holds a Diploma in Farm Management, Bachelor of Business, Graduate Certificate in Agribusiness, Master of Business Administration and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Charlie Perry manages the family business, Trent Bridge Wagyu in the Northern Tablelands of NSW. Producing high performing bulls for the Full Blood and First Cross market for the last 16 years. They sell approximately 150 Wagyu bulls privately each year. Their bulls are bred with a focus on marbling, growth and structural soundness. They also supply First Cross Wagyu/Angus cattle and Fullblood animals into the feeder market. Charlie exemplifies leadership, vision and humility, which resulted in him being crowned the 2022 Zanda McDonald Award winner. After a successful career in business consulting, Charlie's passion for agriculture, drew him home. Since taking over management in 2016, he’s overseen substantial growth in their family business, despite some of the worst years of drought on record, with a focus on productivity gains, genetic indicators and sustainability. He also serves as president and chair of the Australian Wagyu Association (AWA). To apply for the Zanda McDonald award visit zandamcdonaldaward.com.au

Justin McNab is the Executive Director of BluePool Energy, a private, independent advisor to investors and companies operating in the energy, renewables and infrastructure sector.

Prior to establishing BluePool in 2017, Justin worked for a number of years as Head of Business Development in Asia for Origin Energy.

Originally a banker, Justin spent over twenty years in various banking roles as a project financier, and was the head of the energy and infrastructure teams for major banks, including NAB and ANZ, both in Australia and Asia. During his time at ANZ he was the Bank’s Head of Utilities and Infrastructure in Asia, and lived in Hong Kong with his family for three years. He held responsibility for all energy sector client activity for the bank across fourteen Asian countries, and spent significant time travelling amongst these jurisdictions.

He has worked on a diverse range of projects, including financing hydroelectricity projects in Laos, wind farms in the Philippines, geothermal projects in Sumatra, water treatment plants in China, solar projects in India, LNG import terminals in China, and electricity transmission projects in Vietnam, as well as numerous domestic energy and utilities transactions.

Justin has extensive experience as a banker and advisor to the sector, and retains long term relationships with investors, governments, energy companies, regulators and bankers across the region.

He holds Bachelor Degrees in both Commerce and Arts from Melbourne University, and a Masters Degree in finance from Macquarie University.