Tony Russell was made redundant from his role as general manager of Apple and Pear Australia Ltd (APAL) last Wednesday in a restructure by the group’s board that has seen Jon Durham reinstalled as managing director.
The restructure reportedly followed a year-long review of APAL’s management structure, but the news has come as a shock to Mr Russell, who told Fruitnet.com he was “poleaxed and perplexed” by APAL’s decision.
Jon Durham, who was managing director of APAL until 2007, then handed over the reins of running industry services to Tony Russell, who’d joined the organisation from the grains industry in 2004 to be groomed for the general manager role.
Mr Durham had moved out of industry services to become general manager of Coregeo, a division of APAL that handles the management of the Pink Lady business worldwide, and a position he held from 2007 to November 2010.
In their respective roles, Mr Durham and Mr Russell had both reported to APAL’s chairman Darral Ashton. Following its recent review, however, the APAL Board decided that both the industry services and intellectual property sides of the business should come under one managing director role filled by Mr Durham, with one direct report to the chairman.
“Jon Durham assumed immediate responsibility from 18 November 2010 for all of APAL’s activities on behalf of the Australian apple and pear industry,” APAL’s communications manager Stuart Gray told Fruitnet.com. “As a consequence of the restructure, Tony Russell is no longer with APAL. The Board has thanked Tony for all his efforts and the role he has played in the apple and pear industry since he started with APAL in 2004, and particularly in his role as general manager of APAL since 2007.”
The news of Mr Russell’s departure has also come as a surprise to many in the apple and pear industry, where he has made significant contributions over the past few years.
According to APAL’s Mr Gray, Mr Russell played a key role in providing industry input on the import risk assessments (IRAs) conducted by Australia on apples from China and New Zealand. The New Zealand IRA then developed into the WTO dispute, where Mr Russell worked closely with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in providing industry advice.
“Tony also forged strong relationships with other horticulture industries through roles in Horticulture Australia, Horticulture Australia Council and as chair of the recently formed Horticulture Task Force, which replaced HAC,” said Mr Gray.
In addition, Mr Russell oversaw the Future Orchards initiative, which was focused on doubling the productivity of Australian orchards through intensive plantings using dwarfing rootstocks. And he was closely involved in developing apple and pear marketing campaigns.
Fruitnet.com understands that Mr Durham will now take on the various industry services functions formerly managed by Mr Russell, while maintaining his work with Coregeo Australia.
“The new structure of APAL will ensure a coordinated focus on many issues that face the Australian apple and pear industry at a time when it is facing its biggest challenge in the face of apple imports from China, New Zealand and other countries in the future,” noted Mr Gray.
Asked about his own future, Mr Russell told Fruitnet.com he had yet to decide on his next move, although he had already been asked to take on some consulting work in the horticulture sector. “I am happy to stay in the horticulture industry if the right opportunity comes along, but I may also look back in the grains sector where I came from,” he said. “I’ve developed a lot of skills, knowledge and contacts in the horticulture sector though.”
