Page 11 - National Poultry Newspaper

Poultry industry leader in coveted leadership program
riFutures Australia were excited to sponsor Tamsyn. “We recognise the value of capacity building and what it means for our rural industries.” “Strong lead- ers who are passionate about making a meaning- ful contribution are essen- tial to the future prosperity of agriculture in Australia. “Tamsyn has already achieved so much in the poultry industry, her strong partnerships and ability to provide innova- tive solutions to the chal- lenges faced by the sector
A CAREER in the poultry industry wasn’t what Tam- syn Crowley had in mind when she embarked on a science degree.
pushed me – I’m hoping the ARLP is really going to test me.
Tamsyn says she loves working with the poultry industry and coming up with solutions to the major challenges and hurdles it faces.
tiative, and more recently received Federal Govern- ment funding which will enable its growth, with plans to roll out across Australia.
see how much farm man- agers love their chickens – I mean it, they really love their chickens – this isn’t a message that is adequately promoted.”
are commendable.
“The opportunities and
In fact, despite her expo- sure to the industry during her formative years – her father invented and built some of the early auto- mation equipment for the industry – as a teenager Tamsyn was adamant she would never work with poultry.
“I want to be a better leader – I want to find out where my weaknesses are and how resilient I am.
“People within the in- dustry are just so giving of their time, they are happy to chat, happy to help, it is a wonderful environment to be part of.”
“We’ve done a number of things recently with youth experiencing signifi- cant barriers to employ- ment, particularly in the New England region where there is close to 16 percent youth unemployment.”
In reality, the poultry in- dustry is a key player in sustainable food produc- tion and growers and in- dustry players are passion- ate about their animals, as well as delivering a premi- um product at a low price point for consumers.
learnings she will gain from participating in the ARLP will ensure her con- tinued success as a leader in the poultry industry, her community and regional Australia.”
Today, Tamsyn’s passion for the poultry industry is contagious – she is the director of Poultry Hub Australia based at the University of New Eng- land in Armidale, runs a poultry research labora- tory at Deakin University in Geelong and has set up a program to help young people facing employment barriers enter the poultry industry.
While undertaking a PhD in Plants and For- estry, Tamsyn was asked to apply for a job with CSIRO, funded by the Poultry Cooperative Re- search Centre.
“I want to see a change in dialogue from people saying, ‘oh I work on a chicken farm’, to recognis- ing they are contributing to sustainable food pro- duction.
For more information, visit rural-leaders.org.au
She has also been select- ed to participate in Course 28 of the Australian Ru- ral Leadership Program sponsored by AgriFutures Australia’s Chicken Meat Program.
“I had many opportuni- ties to meet people within the poultry industry and learnt so much during my 14 years there.
Tamsyn and Poultry Hub Australia have developed a program to support young people gain employment in the poultry industry.
Tamsyn says one of the greatest challenges for the industry is the public per- ception of animal welfare, and how well-equipped farmers are to deal with the constant scrutiny.
Tamsyn joins 28 other like-minded leaders across different agricultural sec- tors for the 15-month pro- gram, which aims to build leadership capability in people in rural regional and remote Australia.
“I was then encouraged to apply for my role at Poultry Hub, but couldn’t give up my interest in re- search, so I still run a re- search lab down at Deakin in Geelong.”
The program was award- ed funding through the Youth Employment Inno- vation Challenge – a NSW State Government ini-
She says social media has its positives, but it can also have some big negatives.
“I think this program is going to do that.”
Tamsyn hopes participa- tion in the ARLP will give her the skills to try and address some of the is- sues her industry, and rural Australia more generally, are facing.
“One of our biggest pain points is attracting people to work in the industry.
“A lot of these kids need confidence, someone to be- lieve in them and give them an opportunity.
It is an exciting and ad- vancing industry that genuinely cares about the welfare of its animals and plays a significant role in supporting regional and ru- ral communities.
Applications for ARLP Course 29 are now open and AgriFutures Australia encourages participants from its 13 levied indus- tries to apply.
“The CRC program brought together industry and research and the expo- sure took me from being a very academic scientist to someone who was more applied.”
“People don’t realise poultry is extremely sus- tainable, and as we get closer to 2050 when we are predicted to experience major global food short- ages, we need to get people to be more excited about working in the industry.” Engaging youth
“It is a really big project, but we’re confident it will make a big difference.” Applying leadership skills to change the nar- rative
“If I can learn the skills to be a better leader to help lead change and bring peo- ple along that feel passion- ate to make a difference, I think the impact can extend right across rural Australia, and particularly in poultry.”
Strong leaders ensure fu- ture of Australia’s rural industries
“There are companies employing 30 plus people a month, so hopefully we can start to bridge that gap.
“We really need to change the narrative around the poultry industry, and this isn’t something I can solve myself.”
“There are a lot of myths and misinformation about the industry.”
AgriFutures Australia’s manager capacity building Angela Wakeman said Ag-
Tamsyn’s passion for the poultry industry is conta- gious.
“When I visit a farm, I
Area Sales Manager Oceania
Tamsyn grew up in the Yarra Valley as the eldest of four kids and has al- ways had an insatiable in- clination to figure things out, which ultimately led her to pursue a career in science.
Think ahead with poultry people
What you’ll be doing:
What we o er:
Working for Vencomatic Group means working at an innovative multinational with many opportunities to develop your- self, take responsibility and show initiative. You get the chance to work internationally. We o er an extensive and professional training program within an open and result driven company culture. Besides a competitive salary, Vencomatic Group o ers attractive secondary bene ts.
Contact information:
If you would like to know more about our organization: www.vencomaticgroup.com. For information about the position, please contact Mr. Simon McKenzie (Regional Director of Asia and Oceania), e-mail: simon.mckenzie@vencoasia.com. If you are interested in this position please send your application to jobs@vencomaticgroup.com.
“I love solving problems and that’s what science is all about,” she said.
A thirst to learn
We are looking for a fulltime:
• Developing and expanding the distribution and sales network in Australia and New Zealand;
• Performing active sales activities, conducting negotiations and concluding contracts;
• Managing key accounts;
• Participating in local and international tradeshows; • Being on the road to visit potential customers.
What we’re looking for is a new colleague who:
• Has knowledge of the poultry sector, related to Australian and New Zealand poultry integration companies
• Has an agro-industry and/or sales education;
• Has strong in uencing skills and ability to work
in an informal no-nonsense organization; • Is strong proponent of animal friendly and
sustainability;
• Has comfortable and competent executive
communication skills, clear and concise
communicator;
• Has 5 -10 years of experience in sales activities,
conducting negotiations and concluding contracts; • Is living in Australia or New Zealand.
It was Tamsyn’s desire for feedback, wanting to know how she can im- prove and striving to be- come a better leader that led her to apply for the ARLP.
As Area Sales Manager you are responsible for achieving the sales targets. Customer and dealer relations are of great importance and you think along with the customer in nding e cient housing, egg handling and climate control solu- tions for each type of poultry house. You translate signals from the market into the right actions. You proactively maintain the relationship network and know how to keep it up to date. It is also your ambition to continuously improve your sales performance and you are well informed about current product and market developments.
www.vencomaticgroup.com
“As a scientist, I love feedback.”
“If I do something, I want to know how I can do it better next time.
“Over the years, I have had opportunities to do leadership courses, but haven’t felt they really
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National Poultry Newspaper, October 2021 – Page 11