Ms McCluskey commenced her role as Interim Chief Executive of the National Farmers’ Federation in September 2025. Previously she was Australia’s inaugural Special Representative for Australian Agriculture. With an increasing focus on more environmentally sustainable production, Ms McCluskey worked to promote and demonstrate Australia’s commitment to climate-smart sustainable agriculture, and counter prescriptive policy that could negatively impact Australian agriculture and global food security. Ms McCluskey brought a depth of knowledge to this role, being a cattle producer herself, as well as Chair of the Crawford Fund, a Director of LiveCorp and the Australasian Pork Research Institute, a member of the CSIRO Food and Agriculture Advisory Group and an ATSE Fellow.

Ms McCluskey was previously a Director of Australian Unity, Commissioner for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), and held positions as a Commissioner on the National COVID-19 Advisory Board, a member of the Charities Review, CEO of the Regional Australia Institute and the Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations and the Executive Director of the Office of Best Practice Regulation. She has also held senior positions with the Business Council of Australia, the National Farmers’ Federation and the Australian Taxation Office.

Dr Matthew Shaffer was appointed as Dairy Australia’s new Chief Executive Officer, from 16 July 2025. Matt most recently served as CEO of DataGene from 2016 – 2025. DataGene is an Australian industry-owned organisation focused on driving genetic gain and herd improvement in the Australian dairy industry.

Prior to that, Matt was CEO of Holstein Australia from 2005 – 2016. Holstein Australia is an industry organisation which supports the continual development of the Holstein cattle breed, promoting the benefits of the breed through the provision of high quality, independent and valued information services to the dairy industry.

Matt started his career in the finance industry for the US based Hancock Agriculture Investment Group where he played a critical international operations role. Matt was the Director of International Operations for Hancock Agriculture, based in Boston, USA from1997-2000. Matt then moved to Australia and established Hancock Agriculture Australia, leading that operation from 2000-2003.

Matt grew up on a farm in Western Pennsylvania, USA, where his first paying job was milking cows. He went on to attend Penn State and Cambridge. Matt has a PhD in International Relations, from Cambridge University, Cambridge, UK.

Ben Bennett has worked in dairy farming in south- west Victoria for 16 years and he has experience in low-cost, lucerne-based pasture and domestic seasonal calving. Prior to his work in the dairy sector, Ben worked for 13 years in the meat processing industry. In this role he managed everything from procurement to processing and international marketing exposure and has experience with costings modelling. Ben began his career on the floor with roles that ranged from labouring to quality control and technical project management. He then moved to the line and gained experience in executive management and whole of business consulting. He has a graduate diploma in agriculture and a degree in biotechnology and bioprocess engineering.

Gavan has 30 years of professional experience and is one of Australia’s lead practitioners in agricultural resource economics and public policy review. Clients work with Gavan for his strong understanding of these issues and his experience in applying economic principles and sound decision making to wicked applied public policy policies and programs. Since joining Marsden Jacob, Gavan has worked on a wide array of high-level and applied projects in a diverse set of sectors including agriculture, resources, water, fisheries, biosecurity, natural and earth resources, land contamination, energy, transport, and sport including for government departments and agencies across Australia, local councils, and non-government organisations.

Gavan will appear at ADC 2026 virtual live feed.

Jana is a Lean consultant with more than 20 years’ experience working for Toyota and in Lean consulting. She is the founder of consulting company Improve8. Jana has helped dozens of companies around the world use Lean thinking to help them improve their businesses. Since 2013 she has also been involved in supporting her husband’s 1000-head dairy farm in New Zealand, introducing Lean thinking to the business. She developed and rolled out the successful LeanFarm training program across New Zealand in 2017. Since then, Jana has founded The LeanFarm Project to help create awareness of lean in farming and her successful LeanFarm training workshops have been delivered to over 1000 dairy, sheep, beef, goat, deer, arable, horticulture farmers across NZ, Australia and Europe. Jana has also engaged with thousands of farmers around the world, speaking at numerous agricultural events. In 2019 she published her book ‘The Lean Dairy Farm’ – a highly practical and relevant step by step guide that every farmer globally can use to apply

With over three decades of experience in the finance industry, Tony brings a strong background in accounting, research, stockbroking, succession planning, and financial planning which allows him to provide a broad range of advice to clients in different stages of their life. Throughout his career, Tony has been a passionate educator and presenter, sharing his expertise through lectures and seminars with organisations such as Women Together Learning (WoTL), Farm Owners Academy (FOA), the Australian Shareholders Association (ASA), regional TAFEs, and ASX Investor Hours for more than 30 years.

Former world number 4 tennis player, Jelena Dokic embodies resilience and triumph.

Her awe-inspiring journey on the court includes making the semi-finals of Wimbledon at 17 years of age and being a doubles Grand Slam finalist at 18. Yet, beyond the spotlight, she endured adversity, including abuse from her father for 15 years. This trauma shadowed her success, affecting her mental health.

At 22, she faced a breaking point, but chose resilience. Dokic emerged as a survivor, determined not just to survive but to thrive. Her story, shared in bestselling books Unbreakable and Fearless, and her number 1 documentary The Jelena Dokic Story, which was named 2025 Feature Documentary Production of the Year at the Screen Producers Australia Awards, and the 2025 Logies Best Factual or Documentary Program, showcases her journey from victim, survivor to thriver.

Carli is a Wellbeing Keynote Speaker across the globe leading Wellbeing for Johnson & Johnson and was the recipient of ‘Best Health & Wellbeing Program 2020’. A degree in Health Science and a Masters in Business, Carli’s research uncovered key success criteria needed to build successful employee Wellbeing programs. Carli is a Nutritionist, Mental Health First Aider and Lead Researcher for government wellbeing research projects. Carli deliberately ditched her own wellbeing whilst juggling work, studying and caring for loved ones. The physical and mental illness of burnout stopped her in her tracks. Through recovery, Carli has now prevented recurrence whilst ducking life’s curve balls for the last ten years. Presenting wellbeing science and strategies, Carli will inspire you to protect and uplift your wellbeing.

Wiremu and Marsella Edmonds are the driving force behind Stand In The Gap — a movement born from deep personal loss and an unshakeable commitment to transform the culture of health, safety, and wellbeing across industries and communities. In 2013, they founded Tuakiri, reimagining how organisations think and act around safety, leadership, and care. Through their signature keynote, “Stand in the Gap,” they’ve reached over 100,000 people worldwide — challenging the “production before people” mindset and inspiring leaders to protect what truly matters: their people.

Wiremu is a fourth-generation bushman and master storyteller, and one of Aotearoa New Zealand’s most authentic leadership voices with his commanding presence and ability to connect with any audience inspiring transformation from the boardroom to the bush including the New Zealand All Blacks Sevens to win the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series, sharing lessons of mindset, courage, and identity. Marsella brings balance, wisdom, and heart to their shared work. A mother, grandmother, and leader, she fosters trust and resilience through empathy and grounded strength. Her calm presence helps others heal, communicate, and grow — especially through change and adversity.

Together, Wiremu and Marsella embody leadership in motion — two powerful voices working as one. Their impact spans industries and generations, uniting the personal and professional, the cultural and corporate, the ancient and modern. Beyond workplaces, they help families and communities break cycles of harm and rebuild through cultural values and connection.

‘Forbes’ describes Aidan as a “food and farm future futurologist”. Aidan is an unusual leader. With 30 years of experience in the agribusiness sector,
his role has changed so often that his experience covers the full range of executive and managerial challenges. He has direct experience with greenfield start-ups, high-growth environments, turnaround issues, and challenging economic environments in a wide range of political and economic systems. Aidan’s leadership experience ranges from strategy to operations to production, as well as developing sales programs and cohesive teams that deliver strong results. Having worked in over 100 countries, lived in six, and spoken five languages, Aidan is well-placed to understand the complexities of virtually any environment. He has worked in political associations with state and national governments in the US, China, Europe, and Brazil, and international organizations such as the European Union and the United Nations.

Rachel Durie is a Senior Consultant with Perrin Ag, based in Waikato, New Zealand. Growing up on a dairy farming family and now contract milking, Rachel brings firsthand experience to her advisory work. She works directly with dairy farmers to improve business performance and resilience, from owner-operator farms to large Māori-owned operations. Rachel provides consulting and supervision services, including governance and operational support, and helps farmers make informed decisions that drive profitability and efficiency. Alongside her on-farm work, Rachel leads various industry projects with regional councils, government, and sector bodies. These projects span farmer education, environmental initiatives, and farm system innovation – including composting shelters for dairy cows and exploring opportunities for artificial intelligence. Rachel brings a practical, solutions-focused approach to supporting dairy businesses in an increasingly complex environment.

After graduating from University of Melbourne Veterinary Science in 1990, John worked in a mixed dairy vet practice at Camperdown in SW Victoria until 2013. From the late 1990’s, after completing a Masters program in Dairy Medicine and Management, he spent a large portion of each year involved with industry funded Australian national animal health and feedbase programs including Countdown and InCalf. John completed a PhD program in 2016 at the University of Wisconsin- Madison conducting milk harvesting research with Professor Doug Reinemann. In addition, he had previously completed membership examinations with the Australian and NZ College of Veterinary Scientists in ruminant nutrition. Following a research and advisory role at Anexa/Cognosco in NZ, he joined Dairy Australia in 2019 and is the Principal Scientist for the organisation. Through his various industry roles, John has presented at conferences and workshops in twelve countries, primarily on dairy animal health and milk harvesting topics. His family remain based in Camperdown, South West Vic.

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 social licence, and foster positive collaborations within the global agricultural industry.

She is also a founding board member of Unstoppable World, an initiative delivering immersive learning journeys across Africa that combine exploration of food systems with leadership and mental health training to strengthen resilience in agriculture. 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.

As Dairy Australia’s Head of Marketing, Glenys leads the organisation’s national marketing strategy to enhance the reputation of the Australian dairy industry, grow demand for dairy products, and attract new talent into dairy careers. She has overseen a broad portfolio of major campaigns and initiatives, including Aussie Dairy, Simple Greatness, Dairy Matters, Legendairy, Healthy Bones Action Week, the Australian Grand Dairy Awards, Picasso Cows, and the Farmer Ambassador Program – all designed to strengthen consumer trust, celebrate excellence, and deepen community connection with dairy. Originally from a dairy farm in the Victorian town of Katunga, Glenys brings genuine industry insight and passion to her role. She is also a regular media spokesperson for Dairy Australia, championing the contribution of dairy farmers and the value of the industry to Australia.

Narelle Zanker’s journey from classroom teacher to dairy farmer and agritourism operator has been shaped by her love for farming, education, and community. Now working full time on the farm for the past three years, she has brought her passion for teaching into the world of dairy through Dairy Adventures, which she runs with her husband Joel. Together, Narelle and Joel aim to bridge the gap between farmers and consumers by creating meaningful, hands-on connections that inspire curiosity and appreciation for agriculture. Through fun and educational experiences, Dairy Adventures gives visitors a chance to see where their food comes from and experience the heart of dairy farming. Recognised as the South Australia Young Farmer of the Year 2025, Narelle continues to share her enthusiasm for farming and education with visitors of all ages, encouraging others to see the joy, care, and hard work behind what she does.

Simon Schulz is the owner and founder of Schulz Organic Dairy and a third -generation custodian of one of Australia’s longest -standing organic and biodynamic dairy legacies.

The Schulz family has been pioneering organic and biodynamic dairy farming since 1972. Simon’s grandfather, Hermann Schulz, was widely respected for his innovative farming practices and specialist cheese -making expertise, while Simon’s father, Michael, carried that legacy forward managing the family dairy farm in Timboon, Victoria. From a young age, Simon worked alongside both his grandfather and father in their respective businesses ultimately an apprenticeship in farming, food production and entrepreneurship. In 2005, at just 21 years old, Simon formally established Schulz Organic Dairy. With Hermann’s guidance, he developed the first products and began construction of a small on -farm processing facility at his parents’ dairy.

The founding principle of Schulz Organic Dairy was simple: real dairy —milk as close to fresh -from-the-cow as possible. Early products included non-homogenised milk, natural whey, traditional yoghurt and quark, made to Hermann’s original recipe. Simon also became a vocal advocate for raw milk, sold for a time as “bath milk”, until regulatory changes forced its discontinuation in 2015.

Until 2009, Schulz Organic Dairy was effectively a one-man operation. By 2026, the business employs nearly 70 people and supplies more than 340 customers across Australia with a growing range of certified organic dairy products, including milk, cream, butter, quark and yoghurt. Industry recognition has been consistent.

Since 2015, Schulz Organic Full Cream Milk has won the Delicious Produce Awards Gold Medal four times, including being named overall From the Dairy category winner in 2016 and multiple award categories since. In 2018, Simon was recognised as a Melbourne Food & Wine Festival Legend and received the Hostplus Trailblazer Award.

Kirsten Diprose is a journalist, podcaster and communications specialist who lives on a sheep and cropping farm in Caramut, south-west Victoria. Kirsten founded the Rural Podcasting Co, a podcast coaching and agency service, specifically for people in rural areas. She has also founded and co-hosts two podcasts: Ducks on the Pond (a podcast specifically for rural women) and Town Criers (a comedy podcast championing small towns).

Kirsten has spent much of her career as a radio and TV news journalist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. She has also presented the news
and current affairs Drive program ABC Statewide Drive Victoria. You can still hear Kirsten as a regular guest on ABC TV’s News Breakfast, where she has a monthly newspaper review and on the Conversation Hour on ABC Radio Melbourne. Kirsten is currently a PhD candidate at Deakin University, studying journalism, podcasting and local news sustainability. She is married to a farmer and mother to two busy farm boys!