Growing up in rural Victoria, I developed an early love of the outdoors, the farm and what we could produce.

With a PhD in dairy science, post graduate studies in nutrition and business studies of innovation & entrepreneurships, I’ve worked across the realms of agricultural and food industry development, research, development (R&D) and adoption, education, business development, policy advisory, investment and international market place development. During this time I have gained extensive experience both regionally and internationally in strategic development, stakeholder engagement, agribusiness, agtech and digital integrations, market place requirements, and capability building.   

I have led many strategic initiatives for the Australian dairy industry and continue to work with primary and regional producers, industry organisations, rural & social impact initiatives, government and education providers while also an active contributor to Australia’s first agtech start-up community.

As the Industry Development Specialist for Australia’s dairy sector I led the strategic development and integration of appropriate digital tools, practices and policy that focused on overcoming barriers to regional industry growth and development, while providing expert advice to government agriculture policy and trade & investment divisions. Other previous senior positions include Innovation Manager of an R&D investment portfolio that spanned the dairy supply chain to realise significant impact across the dairy industry, a dairy research fellow, as well as regional and international roles in research, education and business development for dairy and broader agricultural sectors.

It is these experiences that, over the years, have grounded me in a value chain approach to agribusiness and education, and the need to address challenges and opportunities collaboratively with a dynamic but inclusive approach – now often referred to as ‘design led thinking’. In the ever-present era of globalisation and increasing demand for nutritious and sustainably produced food, I believe that working together at a local level while developing the cultural understanding and mutually beneficial relationships with our Asia-Pacific neighbours is crucial not only for our future, but also enrichment. It is the lessons learned through introducing flexibility, embracing diversity, managing adaptability and leadership that I believe will be important to overlay the technical aspects of a digital age

My keen interests include fostering responsible resource stewardship and openness to market needs; development and integration of digital technology to enhance productivity and underpin the likes of transparency, traceability, provenance, authenticity and demonstrable accountability across food value chains; while developing people, teams and capability through innovative learning frameworks. In recent years, I have spent periods in India understanding and advising niche dairy operations, providing South-Asian agri-food market research and insights for Australian industry and commercial organisations, and in 2018  was selected for the Australia-India emerging leaders program (www.aiyd.org).

I am well regarded for my technical expertise, effective leadership, strategic direction and sound stakeholder engagement with the ability to navigate and join the relevant dots. I roll up my sleeves to engage, connect, listen and discuss what’s working and what’s not with the grassroots – (i.e. primary producers, processors, students/graduates) and transform this into meaningful action at multiple levels. Coupled with a genuine warmth, curiosity and optimism I’ve a knack to challenge the status quo.

I look forward to speaking with you about how to progress your business.

– Karensa