One of the nation's most senior red meat industry leaders has been appointed to take over the role of chief executive officer at Herefords Australia Limited.
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Alastair James will finish in his leadership role at the Red Meat Advisory Council on August 2 and take up his new position with Herefords Australia on August 7.
Herefords Australia chairman Marc Greening said securing such a high-calibre executive from within the red meat supply chain was a coup for the organisation in taking the breed forward.
"Alastair will complement all the hard work achieved by the previous two CEOs to really drive the breed forward with a focus on sustainability and positioning Herefords in a changing modern market," Mr Greening said.
"This is our Angus moment of the 1980s."
Mr James has worked for RMAC since November 2021 after holding senior roles with the industry representative bodies, Australian Livestock Exporters' Council and CropLife Australia, and the former Federal Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
This followed a career as an agronomist and farmer.
Mr Greening is "tremendously proud of the fact the organisation can attract people of this calibre and his experience in the red meat industry through his role at RMAC will put us in good stead".
"It will mean we have a CEO that not only understands how a member-based organisation and a business should be run but also have the extensive knowledge and contacts through the red meat industry."
Mr Greening said Mr James' key role in progressing major outcomes in RMACs strategic plan and delivery of assets would prove valuable in HAL continuing to secure the long-term future of the Hereford breed under the five-year strategic plan.
With a family background in stud and commercial cattle breeding, Mr James will be based in Canberra for his new role and is looking to leverage his whole paddock-to-plate supply chain experience and industry connections in assisting in delivering on member, industry partners and stakeholder needs from the organisation.
"I am very excited about taking on the role and am looking forward to meeting the team and finding where we can focus to promote the Hereford breed and achieve results for our members," he said.
Mr James said maintaining a harmonious membership base and collaboration between diverse sectors in the red meat supply chain was an achievement he was most proud of at RMAC and hoped to continue at Herefords Australia.
"Herefords play a critical role in the supply chain, particularly in the commercial sector with the reduced days to slaughter advantage compared to contemporaries, delivering better body condition scores on less feed, and improved fertility - and doing all of that with an edge in sustainability," he said.
"A focus will be promoting those evidence-based genetic advantages through marketing to increase awareness access and understanding.
"The runs are on the board - extensive carcase data collated by my predecessor Michael Crowley demonstrated that Herefords perform well in a range of production systems using Meat Standards Australia grading. That work promoting the benefits of the breed will be continued."
Mr James has worked solidly on advancing the Australian Beef Sustainability Framework and supporting the adoption of transparent standards and systems through the red meat supply chain to deliver positive environmental outcomes and resilient businesses.
He regards Hereford Youth as a rich resource and is a strong believer in educating future decision-makers on the vital role the livestock industry plays.
"Ensuring a pathway so youth can broaden their horizons with knowledge, leadership skills and become the leaders we need in the future is important," he said.
