Steering Committee

Dave Harris was appointed Managing Director and CEO of Australian Agricultural Company in September 2022. He first joined AACo in 2016 and was the company’s Chief Operating Officer prior to his current appointment.  

Dave has worked extensively across the beef and cattle industry, including holding senior positions with Stanbroke and Smithfield Cattle Company.  

As an Executive Dave has a strong track record building and running integrated supply chains and is passionate about innovation and building resilience in agricultural strategic frameworks. 

Dave holds a Bachelor of Rural Science from the University of New England, specialising in ruminant nutrition and meat science. 

Melinee Leather is Co-Owner and Managing director of Leather Cattle Co (LCC), a progressive family-owned beef cattle operation in Central Queensland with an emphasis on sustainability, food security and climate action. A key focus for the family business is ongoing research and development. As Project Manager Melinee is responsible for planning and overseeing projects and is a respected advisor to Industry, Government and Research organisations. 

Melinee and LCC have been recognized for their excellence in environmental stewardship, animal management and industry advocacy being awarded 2019 Farm Biosecurity Producer of The Year, finalist in the 34th National Banksia Sustainability Award and Winner of the Australian Government Sustainable Agricultural Landcare Award. 

Mick Liubinskas is a climate tech investor and advisor. He co-founded Climate Salad to help build climate-focused startups and help the world get to and beyond net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. He has helped build 100’s of tech companies as a co-founder and with Pollenizer, Startmate, muru-D and Austrade.

Dave McKeon is a skilled agribusiness professional with proven track record in both organisational and industry leadership.
Dave’s leadership skills and proven ability to drive outcomes have resulted in business improvements and major industry reform. An active contributor to initiatives and organisations that deliver value to Australian farmers and regional communities, Dave is passionate about the role innovation can play to help ensure sustainable farm production and agribusiness in Australia.
Dave is Head of Thomas Elder Sustainable Agriculture at Elders Ltd, where he leads innovation activities across major themes such as AgTech, Carbon Farming, Research and Extension.
As a recognised industry leader, Dave’s previous roles have included CEO of Grain Growers Ltd, senior management positions in the National Farmers’ Federation and the Commonwealth Department of Agriculture, all building on his early career in farm management. Dave has also served on a wide range of senior industry and government advisory committees and is currently a Board Director for Agribusiness Australia. Dave holds a Bachelor of Applied Science (Agriculture) and Bachelor of Agribusiness from Charles Sturt University and is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Tim, who was named Australian agricultural consultant of the year 2018 and Australian Agritech of the year 2023, has over 25 years’ experience across Australia and internationally, 20 of which has been running his own Agtech businesses. Tim’s key focus is on adoption of technology, with the DataFarming platform servicing over 40,000 farms in 50 countries.

Sarah Nolet is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Tenacious Ventures, a venture firm focused on decarbonizing the food system and building a resilient, profitable future of agriculture. Sarah regularly publishes her insights on the future of the industry and the realities of scaling a venture firm to thousands of followers, and is a respected advisor to agrifood tech companies in the Tenacious Ventures portfolio and beyond. Sarah is also the host of the podcast AgTech…So What?, where she digs into the “so what” behind the latest food & ag innovations.

Ruth hails from a family farm near Narrabri NSW, where she’s based with the Cotton Research and Development Corporation (CRDC). An agricultural and rural media and communications specialist, Ruth has 20 years’ experience in delivering programs for federal and state government departments, industry bodies, farming organisations and rural not-for-profits. Ruth leads the communications, adoption, and impact reporting division within CRDC, the major investment body for research, development and extension in the world-leading Australian cotton industry. She holds a Masters in Media from the University of Sydney and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program. 

Julia Spicer OAM is a vibrant rural entrepreneur and a catalyst for change. Founder of three regional businesses based in Goondiwindi, Qld – Engage & Create Consulting, The Goondiwindi Business Hub and the recently sold House4390.  

Julia has grown the activity and impact of innovation into the farming and business communities across the state.  Julia has a particular gift for engaging woman and indigenous businesses in her work.  Julia assists entrepreneurs and business owners with the work of business plan writing, designing value propositions and attracting grant and investment funds.   

Julia’s mission is to contribute to the vibrancy and viability of rural and regional Australia by helping businesses grow. Through strategic planning, coaching and online courses; Julia does just that. 

Grant is the CEO of Strategy, Innovation and Growth for the FKG Group, the CEO of the AATLIS Precinct development while overseeing one of Australia’s largest industry-led innovation ecosystems, AgriBusiness Connect.   

Grant is an experienced company director, chief executive officer, chief financial officer and corporate advisor, with expertise in finance, commercialisation, strategy, innovation and growth. As the CEO of AgriBusiness Connect, he brings years of commercialisation and innovation experience to lead major change initiatives in future skills, biotech, artificial intelligence, sustainability, traceability and future industries. Grant manages engagement across global and national strategic partnerships, state and federal governments, venture capital, technology providers, startups and industry leadership groups.