Sheep Producers Australia announced Chief Executive Officer Graham Smith will leave the organisation and SPA Policy Director Stephen Crisp will step in as interim CEO.
SPA Chair Chris Mirams thanked Graham for his dedication to the organisation, its members and the wider sheep industry over the past 15 months.
“Graham came to SPA from New Zealand’s Federated Farmers with extensive experience in food and agriculture and we thank him for the assistance he has provided to the organisation and the Board as the first CEO we appointed,” Mr Mirams said.
“He has contributed significantly to SPA’s role in the development of Red Meat 2030 and the Red Meat Memorandum of Understanding, live sheep export and a range of policy issues during 2019.
“The SPA Board wishes Graham all the best in his future endeavours.”
Mr Mirams said during 2019, SPA had engaged widely with stakeholders through a number of strategy sessions and workshops to provide leadership to the sheep industry, enabling a productive, profitable and sustainable future.
“We will continue this strategic work as we develop and implement a range of new initiatives to further strengthen the industry and proactively support our key stakeholders,” Mr Mirams said.