Conference Program

Caitlin is a sixth-generation farmer at Gundamain, a diversified family property near Eugowra in Central West NSW that has been in the Herbert family for over 150 years. Gundamain operates a cattle feedlot alongside an Angus breeding herd, prime lamb and wool enterprises, and broadacre cropping and hay production. Caitlin works across all parts of the business, with a particular passion for the role feedlots play in supporting a more stable Australian beef supply chain. In 2025, Caitlin was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship, researching how feedlots contribute to resilience, sustainability, and supply chain integration within the beef industry.

Cathy is an experienced company director with a distinguished career spanning business, agricultural research, development and extension, and public policy. A graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, she is deeply committed to the vision of a prosperous, caring rural Australia alive with opportunities for everyone. As former Chair of AgriFutures Australia, one of the nation’s leading rural research and development corporations and a director of the Community Independents Project, Cathy is advancing this vision by championing effective rural policy, strong regional industries, and community‑centred leadership.

Claire Taylor hails from a beef farm in southwest Scotland and is a seasoned media professional, international MC, and keynote speaker with over a decade of experience in TV, radio, print, and PR. As a Nuffield Farming Scholar who has studied agriculture across six continents, Claire brings a wealth of knowledge and a global perspective to agricultural advocacy and communications. Now based in Orange, NSW, she farms alongside her partner and founded Agvocacy Consulting to help agricultural businesses and organisations effectively communicate their stories, build trust, and foster positive collaborations within the global agricultural industry. Claire is passionate about using her platform to amplify the voice of agriculture worldwide, challenge outdated thinking, and rethink how we connect both within the farming community and beyond.

Cressida lives and works in Robertson, NSW. She is the founder and director of the Pecora Group, a vertically integrated end to end dairy and hospitality enterprise. Cressida is a strong advocate for the dairy industry, particularly in the area of value adding. She believes in harnessing the power of rural and regional communities to drive change and in the vital role that women play.

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Founder, SEAOAK Consulting. Ebony leads SEAOAK, a fast-growing food and fibre consultancy working at the intersection of agriculture, climate and sustainability. She is known for translating complex challenges into practical, scalable solutions that strengthen the long-term resilience of agriculture, supply chains and the landscapes they depend on. As a rural woman and mother to a toddler, Ebony is passionate about creating meaningful career pathways and leadership opportunities for rural women.

Linda is a respected board director and strategic adviser with deep connections to agriculture, horses and regional land management, alongside a distinguished background in media and digital leadership. Linda Bracken is a dynamic non-executive director and senior executive with a reputation for professional integrity, creating high performance teams and large-scale transformational leadership. She combines her inquiring mind and interpersonal skills with extensive digital and customer/audience knowledge to achieve results in a positive and inclusive way, bringing people with her. Linda has led some of the most significant developments across the media, music and digital landscape in Australia.

Maggie manages export and sustainability for her family business See Saw Wines. See Saw Wines runs 130ha of certified organic vineyard, dorper lambs, 600tonne winery and a tasting room. She is also a 2025 Nuffield Scholar investigating how greater value can be created for primary producers from Sustainability and ESG requirements coming from supply chains and regulation. During her travels, she has explored successful models of collaboration and innovation across diverse industries and countries, identifying strategies to overcome fragmentation, minimise duplication, and enhance value creation at the farm gate. 

Mel lives at Yeoval, Central West NSW, on a small, productive & profitable grazing property with her husband and has 2 daughters, now left the nest and exploring the world!  They run a Cattle trading enterprise & complement that with a Mobile Heavy Deisel Mechanic business. Mel grew up on property near Tamworth and has early experience as a nurse in country hospitals. She is passionate about mental and physical wellness on farms - which she believes forms a sound base in the ability to make effective decisions under stress. Mel has had a 10-year career in Landcare, both locally and regionally supporting & educating Farmers in the Central West from both learnt and lived experiences.

Pip is a senior executive and advisor with nearly three decades of experience across government, industry, not‑for‑profit and private sectors, specialising in agriculture, climate resilience, and rural and regional communities. Winner of both the Australian and NSW–ACT RIRDC Rural Women’s Awards in 2014, Pip has long championed the development of a strong, connected community of rural women with the adaptive capacity to navigate the challenges of rural life, including climate change, financial management, and personal resilience. Her award ambition centred on building this capability through a social, ecological, and economic lens. Throughout her career, Pip has been recognised for her strategic leadership, systems thinking, and commitment to strengthening the resilience and sustainability of rural Australia.

Tammy is a community connector, advocate and primary producer from South Australia’s Coorong District. She leads community sustainability and resilience initiatives with Coorong District Council, working closely with farmers, small businesses and volunteers to strengthen drought preparedness and regional wellbeing.

Vi Nguyen is a digital strategy consultant and founder of Ryka Global, helping organisations prepare for a rapidly evolving tech landscape. With deep experience in AI and digital transformation, agriculture and innovation, she advises industry leaders, organisations, academia and government agencies on AI adoption, digital strategy, and future-focused capability building. Vi is hands-on leader and has led initiatives on paddock to plate traceability in the APAC region, delivery of Australian Agriculture Data Exchange with Charles Sturt University, MLA, FRDC, AWI and CSIRO, development of on-ground AI tools for producers, and is the Chair of the AI Working Group at the Australian Women in Agriculture.  She has worked in Australia, Sweden, the Pacific Islands and Vietnam. Vi brings a practical, human-centred approach to demystifying emerging technologies and enabling real-world impact.

Jamieson grew up on a fourth‑generation livestock and cropping farm in the Riverina region of New South Wales and holds a Bachelor of Agriculture from the University of Melbourne, specialising in plant and soil science. She now works within the agriculture section of the Bureau of Meteorology, supporting engagement with agricultural industries, contributing to national climate risk work, and working on international climate–agriculture initiatives through the Pacific Vision for Adapted Crops and Soils program.

Stephanie is Engagement Lead for the Climate Services for Agriculture program. With experience in agtech, dairy reproduction and rural journalism, she focuses on climate adaptation for agriculture in Australia and the Pacific.