Will Gordon
I grew up on a farm near Birregurra, inland from Lorne, and have always had an interest in primary industries, so I studied agriculture when I left secondary school.
After finishing my undergraduate degree, I took a couple of years off study before returning to do my Masters degree. In my postgraduate work, I focused on the business side of things in farm and agribusiness management. Things like succession planning and business strategy, working on financial planning and whole farm planning - which looks at a holistic, coordinated business strategy for a farm. I see this as an increasingly important area for agribusiness as the farming population ages, and the cost price squeeze increases the competitive nature of the industry and reduces the number of farms.
I now work for the AWB as an advisor in industry relations and the last few months have certainly been an interesting time for us. I liaise with growers, grower bodies and the state and federal government to look after the interests of our growers.