The Fresh Produce Safety Centre Australia & New Zealand (FPSC) has announced its new chair and the appointment of four new directors, in an expansion of its board.
After seven years in the role, Michael Worthington stepped down from the position of chair of the FPSC effective from 24 November 2021. He has been replaced by Andreas Klieber (pictured left) of Quality Associates.
Worthington will continue as an Emeritus Advisor to the FPSC board, a non-voting advisory role. Meanwhile, Jocelyn Eason has also stepped down from the FPSC board.
The four new directors appointed to the FPSC board come from Australia and New Zealand with diverse representation within the fresh produce industry. They are Damien Farrelly, Miffy Gilbert (pictured right), Andrew Redman, and Belinda Wilson-Chartres.
Worthington said it had been an honour and privilege to lead FPSC.
“When Robyn McConchie and I established the FPSC in 2014 through our respective organisations at the time (University of Sydney and PMA A-NZ), we wanted an entity that could solely focus on food safety in the fresh produce industries of Australia and New Zealand and would be for the whole industry from farm to retail and supported by the industry. Thanks to past and present FPSC boards and numerous other businesses, organisations and individuals, we have achieved our aim,” Worthington said.
“It now gives me great pleasure to hand over the reins to Andreas, with his skills, knowledge and passion for food safety and the industry. I wish Andreas and the new board all the very best for the future and I sincerely thank everyone who has supported me in the role over the past seven years,” he said.
Klieber said he was excited to follow on as chair from Worthington and his vision for the FPSC.
“The board is also recognising his ongoing passion and service for the centre by appointing Michael as an Emeritus Advisor. We thank both Michael and Jocelyn for their dedicated and valued service to the FPSC, particularly during the difficult past few years of Covid-19.”
The four new directors bring a wealth of experience and dedication to food safety in the fresh produce industry.
Damien Farrelly is the New Zealand Good Agricultural Practice and Food Safety manager at Horticulture New Zealand. He is the key industry contact with the NZ Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) for food safety policy, and implementation and is a member of numerous food safety forums, working groups and research groups.
Miffy Gilbert is a qualified horticulturist with over eight years’ experience in the fresh produce sector. She is currently the general manager at AusBerry Farmers where her focus is strategy, compliance, marketing and sales, business development and operations with a continuous improvement mindset. Miffy is the chair of the Victorian Strawberry Growers Association and sits on Strawberries Australia Committee as secretary.
Andrew Redman is the chief technical officer for Perfection Fresh Australia and has broad global experience with over 20 years in the food industry in senior quality and research roles, working for some of the world’s largest food manufacturers including General Mills, Danone, Mars and Campbells Soups. Redman is focussed on bringing a commercial and collaborative leadership style to deliver improved food safety and quality of fresh produce that deliver against ever increasing consumer expectations.
Belinda Wilson-Chartres is the director of Fresh Business Directions and brings over 25 years’ experience in the fresh food industry in management, marketing, operations and quality assurance roles. She has contributed to many committees, strategy and advisory groups for not-for-profits, businesses, schools and local and state government. Wilson-Chartres is an active member of the Technical Advisory Group for Harps.
“We once again thank our departing directors and warmly welcome new faces to the FPSC A-NZ board, for what is set to be an exciting year ahead,” noted Klieber.
