Board Director Profiles

Paul has operated his family dairy farm at Harrisville, South-east Queensland for the last 30 years. He has also been involved in many areas of dairy beyond the farm gate, including roles in advocacy, research, development and extension.

He was previously Chair of Subtropical Dairy and played a key role in setting up the Young Dairy Network Queensland as the young farmer delegate on the inaugural Strategic Steering Committee. He was a Director of Premium Milk Ltd for 11 years and is a member of the Australian Dairy Conference Board.

Paul is an active member of his community, having held roles in the Fassifern Rugby League Football Club for over 28 years (currently serving as President), Hayes Oval Inc, and the local ANZAC Committee. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Appointed November 2020 
Appointed Chair November 2024  

Member – Audit and Risk Management Committee
Member – People and Culture Committee 

Paul grew up on the family farm at Elizabeth Town, Central-northern Tasmania. He was Tasmanian Apprentice of the Year before graduating from Marcus Oldham Agricultural College in 1991 with a distinction in farm management. He is married to Bernadette and has two sons, William and Angus, who are currently studying at university.  

Paul is owner and manager of Ashgrove Farms, comprising five dairy farms milking 3,500 cows and a dairy beef grazing operation with over 4,000 cattle across 3,500 hectares of Northern Tasmania. He is also currently Chairman of Ashgrove Cheese, the Bennett family value-adding business.  

He was Chair of DairyTas from 2010 to 2013, a member of the Dairy Moving Forward Steering Committee between 2013 and 2016 and is an active member of his local community. He graduated from the Rabobank Executive Development Program in 2015 and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. 

Appointed November 2023

Chair – People and Culture Committee  

Steve Jefferies is Chair of Rice Breeding Australia Ltd and non-executive Director of Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority. He is a Member of the Order of Australia and a Fellow of the Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering. 

Steve was Managing Director of the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), the inaugural CEO of Australian Grain Technologies Pty Ltd, and was a non-executive Director of Grain Producers South Australia, Barley Australia and Birchip Cropping Group.  

Appointed November 2025

Member – People and Culture Committee 

Simone and her husband Neil have been farming on the Murrumbidgee River near Wagga Wagga in NSW since 2000, starting out as sharefarmers and later purchasing the property in 2008.

Her experience spans a range of farming systems, including pasture-based operations, partial mixed ration (PMR) feeding during dry and wet periods and utilising a full total mixed ration (TMR) housed facility, before more recently transitioning to robotics.

Outside of the farm business, Simone has 25 years of industry involvement and governance experience in local, state and national roles. She has held various leadership positions in industry research, development and extension, as well as advocacy and representation roles with Dairy NSW, Australian Dairy Farmers, DataGene and the Australian Dairy Sustainability Framework.

Simone has a Bachelor of Rural Science and is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  

Appointed November 2021  

Member – Audit and Risk Management Committee
Member – People and Culture Committee (until December 2025)
Member – Board Selection Committee  

Andrew grew up on a family farm in the Goulburn Valley, which has influenced much of his professional life.

He is currently Managing Director of corporate advisory and investment firm Somerset Capital, manages the Somerset Capital – Silverfern Global Private Equity Fund, serves as Chair of AgLink Australia, AGnVET Services and Langdon Group and is a non-executive Director of Felton Grimwade Bosisto’s.

He has previously been Chair of The Pastoral Pork Company and a Director of Gardiner Dairy Foundation, Pork CRC, Beischer Medical Research Foundation and Mt Hotham Alpine Resort.

Before founding Somerset Capital, Andrew worked in the United States, Canada and Australia with Cargill and as a lawyer with Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer. Andrew has a Bachelor of Law, Bachelor of Science and MBA and is a fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.  

Appointed November 2022

Chair – Audit and Risk Management Committee 

Kären is a fourth-generation dairy farmer from the Mitta Valley, North-east Victoria. She is a partner in Arajarra, a predominantly pasture-based dairy farm milking 300 cows, operated in partnership with her husband Wayne, son Blake and daughter-in-law Chelsea.

Until December 2023, Kären was the co-owner of Auzred XB, a commercial AI import distribution company focused on three-way crossbreeding and the use of Aussie Red   genetics. She has played a key role in projects, boards and industry groups that empower her local community and the broader dairy industry, including Murray Dairy, Agbiz Assist, the Goulburn Murray Water Services Committee, the Mitta Valley Landcare Group, and the Sustainable Landscapes Advisory Committee for the North East Catchment Management Authority.

Kären is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and has a Diploma in Human Resources Management (Dairy).  

Appointed November 2023 

Member – People and Culture Committee (from December 2024)  
Member – Audit and Risk Management Committee (until December 2025) 

James is a fifth-generation dairy farmer from Oxley Island, near Taree in New South Wales. He farms with his wife Katrina and parents Peter and Cheryl Neal, milking up to 800 cows all year round in a predominantly pasture-based system.

After completing his Agricultural Science degree at the University of Adelaide, James worked for the University as a scientist, investigating the importance of soil fertility and root pathogens on the poor productivity of legume pastures. He has extensive agricultural research, development and extension skills, having worked for New South Wales Department of Primary Industries and completed a PhD at the University of Sydney, investigating differences in water use efficiency, yield, nutritive value and profitability of different dairy forages.

In addition to his background in the dairy sector, James has strong governance experience, having served on numerous industry boards and committees, including as Chair of the Dairy NSW Board. He is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors 

Appointed November 2024  

Member – People and Culture Committee (until December 2025) 
Member – Audit and Risk Management Committee (from December 2025)