Directors

Andrew Young - Chairman

Appointed in 2017 and Chairman in 2019, Andrew brings expertise in soft commodity trading and processing, commodity risk management, strategic joint ventures and business acquisitions. 

Andrew is currently the Executive Chairman and Managing Director of Plum Grove Pty Ltd, a privately owned, WA-based grain accumulation and export business.

 

Julie Cox

Julie joined the board in 2019 and has a background in corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions and strategy.  Julie worked for over thirty years with PricewaterhouseCoopers across a wide range of industries.  She was General Manager - Business Development for the Craig Mostyn Group between 2012 and 2018 with responsibility to execute the company's strategy to double in size by acquisition.  From mid 2018, Julie has pursued a career as a non-executive director and sits on three other boards apart from Westpork.

Brad Thomason

Brad joined the Board in January 2020 and brings a wealth of experience in marketing and strategic planning in the meat and food manufacturing industries.  Brad was the Managing Director of D'Orsogna Ltd for almost 20 years and is now a non-executive director on their board.  He has held management positions with Dandy Jacobs and was CEO of George Weston Foods Meat and Dairy division for 14 years.  Brad also sits on the board of BE Campbell Group and was Deputy Chairman of the Australian Meat Industry Council for 10 years, having resigned from that position in July 2019.

Andrew Kennedy

Andrew joined the board in June 2020 and was the Group Executive for Legal, Sustainability and External Relations at Newmont Australia.  Having studied at agricultural college in the UK and having worked in the agricultural industry for several years, Andrew transitioned into the legal profession in London before moving to Melbourne to work in the field of workplace relations and workplace safety for a multinational law firm Herbert Smith Freehills.

In 2006, Andrew moved from Melbourne to Perth with the same multinational law firm before commencing as Manager for Legal Services with Newmont Mining Corporation. In 2013 Andrew left Newmont to take up partnership in multinational law firm K&L Gates.

In March 2017, Andrew returned to Newmont when he was appointed Group Executive Legal Services for the Australia Region of Newmont, and effective late 2019 has furthered his leadership to include the Sustainability and External Relations portfolio for the region.  Andrew left Newmont in May 2023 and is now the Chief Legal Officer for Tjiwarl Aboriginal Corporation.

Rod Hamann

Rod joined the Board in November 2020.  He recently retired as Executive GM for SunPork's Farming operations, taking up the position after they acquired the South Australian assets of APF Group where he was CEO, spending 15 years developing their piggery, feed mill and abattoir operations.

Rod spent 17 years in the USA and Britain where he held various technical, marketing and production operations roles within the businesses of Murphy Farms and PIC International.  Today he sits on the Boards of Big River Abattoir and Auspork Limited and is presently a Director of APL and on the Pork SA Board.

He brings broad experience and knowledge across the whole pork supply chain from genetics through production into abattoir operations and supplier/customer relationships.

Massimo Valentini

Massimo has been a non-executive director of Westpork since November 2021.

Prior to joining Westpork, Massimo spent nearly 30 years working in various leadership roles for D'Orsogna Smallgoods where he continues to hold a non-executive board position.

Massimo is an active member within the WA Italian business community, serving on the board of not-for-profit organisations including ICCI and COMITES.

Massimo holds a Masters in Business Administration and is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.