Nick Burrows

Chairman

B.Com, FCIS, CA, FFin, FAICD, FTIA

Nick recently left Tassal Group Limited after a 21 year stint at a senior strategic executive and Board participatory level as CFO and Company Secretary. Tassal is an agribusiness / manufacturing listed entity and the largest Atlantic salmon aquaculture company in Australia.

Nick brings contemporary, independent, strategic, financial, risk based and governance premised oversight to the TQA Australia Board.

Nick also currently holds a diverse portfolio of Board positions across listed, private, and various government sectors. He is currently a Director of Skills Tasmania, Clean Seas Tuna Limited, and Tasmanian Water and Sewerage Corporation (Southern Region) Pty Limited – (“Southern Water”).  He also serves as Finance Director of Value Adviser Associates. He has extensive experience as an Audit and Risk Committee member across these Boards and also at the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment and Local Government.

Nick is a Tasmanian-based Commerce graduate of University of Tasmania (1980), a respective Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, Financial Services Institute of Australasia and Chartered Secretaries Australia, and a Chartered Accountant, Registered Tax Agent, and Registered Company Auditor.

Nick is also currently serving on the Tasmanian Council of Chartered Secretaries Australia having previously been a past National President and National Council representative.

View Nick’s LinkedIn profilehere, for more information about his skills and experience.

Allison Clark

Director

Allison is the Quality and Innovation Manager at Houston’s Farm, a member of the Business Management Team, where she manages the Quality Assurance and Product Development Teams to ensure products produced by Houston’s Farm meet and exceed customer and consumer requirements.

Allison led the Houston’s Farm Environmental Sustainability Project which was successful in winning the inaugural 2007 Woolworths Fresh Food Grant.  This grant was used in conjunction with Horticulture Australia Limited to develop a carbon (greenhouse gas) calculation tool for the vegetable industry across a product’s life cycle. This standard was subsequently selected by industry stakeholders in October 2008 as the basis for the development of an industry carbon (greenhouse gas) footprint tool.

In addition to her TQA Australia Board role, Allison has been Chair of the Fresh Salad Producers Forum Technical Sub-Committee, and was a member of the Tasmanian Institute of Agricultural Research Board from 2003 to 2005, the Tasmanian State Training Authority from 1999 to 2002, the Tasmanian Rural Industry Training Board 2000/2001, and the State Planning Group of Farmbi$ from 2001 to 2004.   Allison was awarded the inaugural winner of the Australian Primary Super and TWIA Encouragement Award in 2006 in recognition of ongoing valuable contributions to agriculture.

Outside Houston’s Farm, Allison provides input into the consultancy she founded in 2002, encompassing quality assurance, environmental management, food safety, occupational health and safety covering agriculture, shipping, wholesale, and waste management.

View Allison’s LinkedIn profilehere, for more information about her skills and experience.

Nick Steel

Director

Nick is the Policy and Advocacy Manager with the Tasmanian Farmers and Graziers Association, where he manages the policy and advocacy team in the areas of commodities, environment and general agriculture.  A position that is responsible for providing high level policy advice, analysis and communications directly to the CEO.

He is currently completing a Graduate Certificate in Plant Biosecurity – the course is delivered by a consortium of five Australian universities.

Nick also holds a Diploma of Business (Banking and Finance) and an Advanced Diploma of Farm Management.  His experience includes roles across advertising, banking, finance, freight logistics and agriculture.

Rob Batten

Deputy Chairman

Rob Batten joined the TQA Australia Board in December 2010.   He recently left the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as State Director Tasmania, completing a 38 year career in a range of management and program making roles.   Rob has experience in building relations with communities, involvement in organisational marketing and strategic planning.

Rob is currently overseeing media for development projects in Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea and also owns and operates  an historic farm at Orielton in southern Tasmania.   He has been a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors since 2005 and was a founding director of Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra Pty Ltd.   Rob also helped establish Australia’s Open Gardens Scheme in Victoria and Tasmania.

After joining the ABC in 1971 as a specialist rural broadcaster, Rob was a reporter, producer and presenter on a range of radio and television programs.   At various times in his career he worked for the ABC in Launceston and Hobart as well as interstate and overseas.

View Rob’s LinkedIn profilehere, for more information about his skills and experience.