Murk Schoen, Corowa, NSW.
Angus Australia and specialist agricultural insurer Achmea Australia have announced the successful applicants for the 2024 GenAngus Future Leaders Program (GenAngus).
The 13 successful applicants have demonstrated strong leadership potential and a commitment to advancing the beef industry. They will take part in the sixth GenAngus program, which this year will be held in Christchurch, New Zealand from 28 May to 31 May.
GenAngus aims to equip participants with the necessary business skills and knowledge to kickstart their own beef cattle enterprise or elevate their existing ventures. Participants will benefit from local agricultural insights that resonate with GenAngus’s core values, while immersing themselves in New Zealand’s rich Angus heritage.
As a cornerstone of youth leadership in agriculture, GenAngus has supported the growth and development of more than 50 young Angus breeders since the program’s commencement in 2019. The program brings together emerging leaders for an intensive workshop aimed at enhancing their knowledge and confidence in business management, providing them with essential skills to help navigate their careers in the beef industry.
The successful 2024 GenAngus Future Leaders Program participants are:
• Cody Best, Deloraine, TAS
• Jim Burrows, North Canterbury, NZ
• Elliott Connors, Scone, NSW
• Joseph Dewar, Guilderton, WA
• Sophie Hanna, Walwa, NSW
• Sam Hayden, Moriac, VIC
• Emma Hussey, Canterbury, NZ
• Lincoln McKinlay, Inverell, NSW
• Nathan Mura, McKinlay, QLD
• Kate Reid, Bukkulla, NSW
• Murk Schoen, Corowa, NSW
• Luke Stuckey, Flynn, VIC
• Sean Wright, Banana, QLD
During the three-day intensive workshop, participants will connect with a wide range of industry professionals on current and emerging themes impacting the future of beef production and the agricultural industry. The workshop covers several topics including business financials, beef business benchmarking, mindset, beef supply chain, risk and liability, and succession planning.
Angus Australia’s Extension Officer, Nancy Crawshaw said the volume of applicants for the 2024 GenAngus Program proves how highly regarded the program is within the industry.
“It was great to see a record number of applicants for our 2024 GenAngus Program in New Zealand, with the quality of applications improving year on year, making the selection all the more challenging for our panel,” she said.
“The experience the successful GenAngus participants will receive is not like anything else the beef industry has to offer, and in 2024 we will be drawing on industry expertise in New Zealand to add some great speakers to our lineup,” said Nancy.
“We really hope the applicants who have been selected make the most of the opportunity to take their career and/or business to another level.”
Achmea Australia Chief Executive Officer Emma Thomas congratulated the successful young beef industry leaders embarking on the GenAngus Future Leaders Program in 2024.
“Yet again, we were absolutely blown away by the number and calibre of applications for the GenAngus program, and we thank everyone for taking the time to apply for this leadership development program,” Emma said.
“Participating in GenAngus marks the beginning of a journey where the participants’ leadership and commitment to advancing the beef industry will help shape the beef industry’s future by embracing opportunity, innovation and resilience within our agricultural communities,” Emma continued.
“As an agricultural insurer with a co-operative heritage, we firmly believe in investing in the next generation of agricultural leaders to successfully navigate future challenges,” Emma said. “That is why we are proud to continue our multi-year partnership with Angus Australia and support initiatives like GenAngus that foster innovation, sustainability, and resilience in our agricultural communities.”
Details of the GenAngus Future Leaders Program, along with the 2024 participant bios, can be found on the Angus Australia website.
Learn, grow, and connect with fellow agricultural leaders, including inspiring prior successful participants of the GenAngus Future Leaders Program at Beef Australia. As a supporting partner for Beef Australia, Achmea Australia will host an interactive panel session, ‘Supporting the Next Generation of Beef Leaders’ featuring:
• Emma Thomas, Panellist – CEO Achmea Australia
• Jake Phillips, Panellist – Extension Manager, Angus Australia
• Nancy Crawshaw, Panellist –2022 GenAngus Future Leader
• Hannah Powe, Panellist – 2023 GenAngus Future Leader
• Jack Laurie, Panellist – 2022 GenAngus Future Leader
Tickets are available via the Beef Australia website.