Food Agility CRC today announced that its Chief Executive Officer, Richard Norton, has resigned from his position, to be replaced internally by Dr. Mick Schaefer and Professor David Lamb, effective 1 November 2023.
Mr Norton remains committed to supporting Food Agility’s network of partners in delivering innovative agrifood projects, and will lead a newly formed subsidiary, Food Agility Consultancy (FAC), as Managing Director.
The organisation’s decision to promote Dr Mick Schaefer as CEO, and Prof. David Lamb as Deputy CEO and Chief Scientist, shows its commitment to recognising and promoting high-performing individuals within the organisation.
The success of Food Agility has been built upon the exceptional contributions of Dr. Mick Schaefer and Prof David Lamb.
Mick has a strong track record of successfully delivering projects and aligning stakeholders with a common vision. As CEO, Mick will continue the reporting obligations of the CRC and the management of over $200m in projects, which will be completed within the next three years.
The internationally awarded Prof. Dave Lamb will continue to be the industry's go-to expert for digital agriculture. Prof. Lamb has built the Global Digital Farm and the profile of the Digital Agrifood Summit with CSU at Wagga Wagga, NSW. He has a global reputation as a thought leader with a unique ability to build research projects for commercial outcomes. Prof Lamb will concentrate his efforts on providing scientific oversight across both entities and creating new projects.
Over the last two years, FACRC’s project portfolio has grown significantly from $25m to over $430m across 50 projects, backed by 80 committed funding partners.
The team has successfully delivered innovative solutions across digital technology, data management, AI, robotics, sustainability, and climate reporting.
Food Agility has played a pivotal role in propelling the agtech industry's capabilities to address these emerging trends. As they head into their eighth year at Food Agility CRC, FAC will allow them to expand their commercial reach to sustain their design principles, IP, and team capabilities beyond 2026.
For more information, please email Food Agility Communications and Marketing Manager, Chris Komorek.
