Australian Agricultural Company (AACo) says interim MD and CEO David Harris will officially take on the roles, having taken the helm following Hugh Killen’s sudden departure in June.
Harris was COO since March 2020 and has been with the company since 2016. His focus had been improving the agricultural giant’s operational performance. He has experience in supply chain and large-scale intensive farming production systems, having held senior roles at Stanbroke, Smithfield Cattle Co, and his own private agricultural consultancy.
AACo chair Donald McGauchie said the board had been impressed with Harris’s performance.
“Having had the opportunity to review other candidates, [the board] formed a unanimous view that he was the best person to lead the company.
“David has demonstrated his understanding of the importance of optimising and making value chains more efficient and sustainable. He is experienced in the development and implementation of strategies and business plans focused on achieving improved profitability, efficiency, and value creation in new products,” McGauchie said.
Killen’s departure coincided with Andrew Forrest’s family investment arm Tattarang making its third major investment in the company this year. It became a substantial shareholder (5.3 per cent) in February, when it bought almost 32 million shares for $35 million. By June, Tattarang had invested $187.8 million and owned 17.4 per cent of AACo.
