The Australasian confectionery industry’s most prestigious accolade, the Alfred Stauder Award for Excellence, has been presented to Jennifer Thompson, for her continuous and outstanding contribution to the advancement of the industry. The award was presented at an industry dinner in October.

Ms Thompson is the first woman to win the award in its 23 year history and follows in the footsteps of confectionery industry greats. Presenting the award was last year’s winner, Roger Halliwell of RJs Licorice.
 
“The Alfred Stauder Award for Excellence is our pinnacle industry award recognising the core qualities we hold dear; innovation, passion, commitment and openness. The industry sees Jennifer Thompson as possessing these qualities and recognises her significant contribution to the industry’s development. Jennifer is a worthy winner. She continually goes above and beyond the call of duty and it’s great to see a colleague recognised by her peers for her extraordinary work,” said Trish Hyde, Chief Executive Officer, CMA.

“To say it is an honour, doesn’t seem to capture exactly how important receiving this award is to me. I’ve seen the greats of the industry recognised each year and to think that my peers consider me Stauder material is humbling and rewarding. It has been an absolute privilege to serve the Australasian confectionery industry, so rich in history and wonderful people,” said Jennifer.
The award is presented annually to recognise and applaud a person’s exceptional contribution to the development and growth of the confectionery industry, and their commitment to the values of innovation, integrity and generosity of spirit. Named after the inaugural recipient, Alfred Stauder Snr, the award reflects industry recognition as peers both nominate and vote for the recipients of the award.

Ms Thompson worked for the CMA for sixteen years and now heads technical affairs for confectionery at the Ai Group. During her career, she has campaigned on technical issues enabling industry growth; developed unique sector specific training and networking opportunities, including ConTechPlus; and she has enhanced the industry’s reputation through crisis periods such as the recent melamine scare. In recognition of her local contribution, she was invited to be the inaugural Chair of the International Confectionery Association Technical and Regulatory Group.

Andrew Wigan, Chief winemaker at Peter Lehmann Wines, was named the 2009 Winemaker of the Year at the Gourmet Traveller WINE and Wine Australia Awards, announced in Melbourne in October.

A humble winner, Andrew said, “This award is without doubt, one of the highlights of my career. None of what we have achieved as a group would have been possible without Peter and Margaret Lehmann and their dogged persistence to save our Barossa growers and build a quality winery of international fame. Peter’s guidance throughout has been critical to the success of the company and that is what this is all about. We have a great team at the winery and a great bunch of growers providing us with some amazing fruit. I thank them all as well as my parents for their help and encouragement to point me in this direction, and my wife Wendy for her wonderful support over all the years.”

Andrew’s career as a winemaker includes over 37 vintages in the Barossa Valley. In 1976 he joined Peter Lehmann as a member of the winemaking team at Saltram. Andrew has been with Peter from the very first day at Peter Lehmann Wines as Chief Winemaker. Other accolades that he has gained include, International Winemaker of the Year in 2003 and 2006 at the IWSC in London and White Winemaker of the Year in 2006 at UK International Wine Challenge.

John Ellice-Flint has been appointed as the independent non-executive Chairman of Australian aquaculture pioneer Clean Seas Tuna Limited. Mr Ellice-Flint was, until 2008, the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of oil and gas giant Santos Limited and has had a distinguished career in the global oil and gas industry. Mr Ellice-Flint was also a recent member of the Energy Governors of the World Economic Forum, a body which meets annually to discuss global issues in relation to all its facets including climate change. In addition, he has had 28 years international experience working for a US multi-national company. He has been Chairman of the South Australian Museum since 2002.

Mr Ellice-Flint will replace Clean Seas founder Hagen Stehr AO as Chairman, subject to shareholder approval for the company’s $42 million capital raising. Mr Stehr will remain on the Clean Seas board as a non-executive Director.

“The appointment of an independent, non-executive chairperson is a key plank in strengthening Clean Seas’ board and management team following a review of the company’s corporate governance structure as we move into commercialisation of our propagated Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT),” said Mr Stehr.

Mr Ellice-Flint said that Clean Seas’ anticipated commercialisation of propagated Southern Bluefin Tuna represents a potential solution to declining wild stocks and the next major development phase for the Australian SBT industry.

John Oliver has been appointed Industry & Investment NSW’s new director at Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute and brings valuable experience to the role, including almost 40 years in the cereal industry. Mr Oliver said that he was looking forward to continuing to raise the profile of the rural community in southern NSW by ensuring that research is undertaken at a level that could be properly integrated into farming practices.

“I will … be working hard with our key partners such as the Grains Research and Development Corporation, Meat and Livestock Authority, and the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research, to benefit the broader farming community. I also see great value in building research partnerships and alliances, with such bodies as the EH Graham Centre and Charles Sturt University, to broaden our access to technologies and other skills … ,” said Mr Oliver.

The Wagga Wagga Agricultural Institute occupies 900 hectares of land outside of Wagga Wagga. It has an associated research station of 700 hectares at Temora. The Institute is dedicated to improving the profitability and sustainability of agriculture in NSW through industry-driven research, extension and regulatory services. The Institute’s work focuses on cropping and pasture systems in southern NSW and the State’s expanding viticulture industry.

Mr Oliver came to the Institute in 1987, as a cereal chemist from N B Love Mills (Vic). In 1996, he became program leader cereal products in south of the State providing leadership to cereal breeders, researchers and advisory officers. Before he took on the job as director, Mr Oliver led the Cereal Genetics and Improvement Unit, to underpin the productivity and profitability of the 4200 NSW grain growers, who annually produce 11 million tonnes of cereal grain worth $3.5 billion. He replaces Alison Bowman, who has been promoted to Director Productivity and Food Security Research based at Orange.

Internationally recognised food scientist and science leader, Professor Martin Cole, has been appointed the Chief of CSIRO’s Division of Food and Nutritional Sciences (FNS).

Professor Cole was previously Director of the National Center for Food Safety and Technology (NCFST) in the US and Research Professor of Biology at Illinois Institute of Technology.

Born in the United Kingdom, Professor Cole graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the Manchester Metropolitan University and completed a PhD at the University of East Anglia in 1988. His career has included research and management appointments with Unilever and Nabisco.

From 1999 to 2004, Professor Cole was based at Food Science Australia, the predecessor to FNS, including 15 months as acting CEO.

With extensive experience in food policy and the development of international food safety standards, Professor Cole has been called upon as an expert by organisations such the World Health Organization (WHO), the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) as well as the US House of Representatives.

He has received numerous awards including election as a Fellow of the International Academy of Food Science & Technology and he currently chairs the International Commission on the Microbiological Specifications for Food (ICMSF).

“I’m looking forward to the opportunity to return to Australia and CSIRO. Australia, and hence CSIRO, have a huge role to play in global food production. A strong research effort is important to ensuring we can sustainably produce enough food, food that is healthier and safer. It is an exciting challenge,” he said.

Professor Cole takes over from interim Chief and FSA CEO Professor Alan Bell, who has overseen the move from Food Science Australia to CSIRO Food and Nutritional Sciences. Professor Bell will return to Chief of CSIRO Livestock Industries.