Board of Directors

Director Profiles

Gerry Lawson, LDA MAICD

Mayrung rice grower.  Director since 1985.  Chairman since 2001.  Directors’ Committee: Member, Remuneration. Chairman, Riviana Foods Pty Ltd. Director, Silica Resources Pty Ltd; SunRice Trading Pty Ltd; SunRice Australia Pty Ltd; Riviana (Australia) Pty Ltd; SunArise Insurance Company Limited; Aqaba Processing Company Ltd (Jordan); Herto nv (Belgium); and Sunshine Rice Inc (USA). Member of the Rice Marketing Board.  SunRice representative to the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia Inc.

Mark Robertson, MAICD

Berriquin rice grower. Director since 1996. Deputy Chairman since 2001. Directors’ Committees: Chairman, Grower Services; Member, Remuneration, Finance and Audit. Chairman, Trukai Industries Limited (PNG); Director, Solomons Rice Company Limited (Solomon Islands), Riviana (Australia) Pty Ltd; SunRice Australia Pty Ltd and SunRice Trading Pty Ltd. Member, Rice Industry Co-ordination Committee.

Laurie Arthur, B Ag Sc, MAICD

Moulamein and Barham rice grower.  Director since 2007. Chairman, National Farmers Federation Water Taskforce.  Deputy Chairman and Director of NSW Irrigators Council.  Member Snowy Hydro Consultative Committee, National Water Commission Stakeholders Reference Group, Murray Darling Basin Community Reference Group for Living Murray, Central Executive Delegate to Ricegrowers' Association of Australia.  Former President, Ricegrowers' Association of Australia.

Noel Graham, FAICD

Caldwell rice grower. Director since 2001. Directors’ Committees: Member, Finance and Audit; Grower Services. Chairman, Rice Marketing Board. Rice Marketing Board representative to Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia Inc.

Gary Helou, BE (Hons) MComm FAICD  FAIM

Director since 2003. Director, Riviana Foods Pty Ltd, Trukai Industries Limited (PNG); Solomons Rice Company Limited (Solomon Islands); Herto nv (Belgium); Aqaba Processing Company (Jordan); and Sunshine Rice Inc (USA).  Member of the Advisory Council of the Asia Society AustralAsia Centre.

Russell Higgins, AO BEc FAICD

Director since 2005.  Directors’ Committees: Member, Finance and Audit and Due Diligence, Director, APA Group (formerly Australian Pipeline Trust); Australian Biodiesel Group; Chairman, CRC for Coal in Sustainable Development; CSIRO Energy Transformed Flagship Advisory Committee. Former Chairman Snowy Mountains Hydro - Electric Scheme.

Gillian Kirkup, MAICD

Yanco rice grower. Director since 2005. Directors’ Committee: Member, Grower Services. Member, Rice Marketing Board. Member, RIRDC Rice Research and Development Committee. Central Executive Delegate to Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia Inc. Director, Murrumbidgee Irrigation Limited. Member Riverina Agricultural Women Steering Committee.

Grant F Latta, AM FAICD  FAIM  ASA/CPA  AAMI  MBA  DipBus  DipEng

Director since 1999.  Directors' Committees: Chairman, Remuneration; Finance and Audit. Executive Chairman, GCMCorp Pty Ltd.  Chairman, Europcar Asia Pacific, Bennelong Funds Management Company, Optiscan Imaging Ltd and Kailis and France Foods Pty Ltd, Director, Biota Holdings Ltd, Director Coleambally Irrigation Corporation Ltd and a member of the Australian Competition Tribunal (Federal Court).  

Norm McAllister, Dip App Sc Ag FAICD

Director since 1997.  Chairman, Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd.  Director Riviana Foods Pty Ltd,  Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) and Silica Resources Pty Ltd. Member, Rice Industry Co-ordination Committee.

Alan Walsh, FAICD

Berriquin and Coleambally rice grower. Director since 2000. Directors’ Committee: Member, Grower Services, Director, Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd. Member, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Rice Research and Development Committee. Central Executive Delegate to Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia Inc. Secretary, Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia Inc (Deniliquin Branch). Delegate to Irrigation Research Extension Committee. Member, Rice Industry Co-ordination Committee.