The National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has yesterday announced the appointment of Tony Mahar as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Simon Talbot who has held the post for the past 18 months.
The appointment will be effective from March 14.
Mahar joined the organisation in 2012 as general manager for policy and manager for economics and trade, before taking up the role of deputy CEO in December 2014.
Prior to joining NFF, he was director for sustainable development at the Australian Food and Grocery Council and had held the post of assistant director of food and horticulture industry policy at the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
NFF president Brent Finlay says he is delighted to announce the appointment of Mahar who has an outstanding track record across economics, trade and broader agricultural policy.
“Tony has been one of the key drivers in setting a new clear and progressive strategic direction for the organisation and how it will best represent the Australian agriculture industry,” he says.
“He has some of the nation’s best skills across agriculture and economics and, due to his knowledge and experience, is undoubtedly the best person to lead the NFF and drive the implementation of the organisation’s future strategy in what is an exciting growth stage for both our organisation and the broader industry.”
Finlay also paid tribute to outgoing CEO Simon Talbot, who has taken up an opportunity in the corporate sector, commending him on his leadership skills and achievements during his time in the organisation.
“Simon’s achievements have been extensive and have included making significant progress towards the establishment of a unified model for farm representation, the development of a national digital agricultural service and a stronger voice for Australian agriculture through more targeted lobbying in media, political and business circles,” he says.
“Simon’s broad experience in the corporate sector has been invaluable at a critical time for agricultural representation as evidenced by the development of a clear strategic direction for the NFF and a broadened revenue base, both of which will continue to benefit the farmers we represent.
Finlay adds Talbot will now focus on finalising a series of commercial arrangements to ensure a clear handover to Mahar.
In another announcement, NSW Farmers’ Association CEO Matt Brand has been seconded on a part-time basis to the position of NFF’s executive director of integration and digital.
Brand will steer the next stage of NFF’s Project Streamline and Strengthen (PSS) which has been developed to strengthen agricultural representation, remove duplicated structures and to streamline resources to ensure a stronger, more effective voice for farmers across Australia.