Freshcare has announced the appointment of Jane Siebum to the role of chief executive effective 4 January, 2021.
Siebum replaces Yvonne Diab, who was the interim chief executive of the Australian fresh produce assurance programme through 2020.
Allan Dall, chair of Freshcare, said the board was pleased to announce Siebum and welcomed her to the organisation.
“As the custodian of Australia’s most widely used standards across the horticulture and viticulture sectors, we have an obligation to position Freshcare for a sustainable future. This means ensuring as an organisation that we have the right corporate structure and the financial capacity to continue to deliver in the long term,” said Dall.
“After an extensive search we are very confident that Jane, with her authentic leadership, out-of-the-box thinking and broad skills, is absolutely the right person to lead the organisation and deliver for our participating businesses, members and the industry.
“On behalf of the board I’d like to thank Yvonne Diab for her work as interim chief executive in 2020 and we wish her well for the future,” he added.
Siebum joins Freshcare following three years at Scouts NSW, including two as chief executive, and with extensive experience in business transformation across various industries.
She has extensive knowledge in the technology sector and is known for delivering business solutions that drive efficiencies and productivity. Siebum also brings a wealth of not-for-profit expertise having previously been president of Bowen Pastoral Agricultural Association, non-executive director of Women in Prisons Advocacy Network and a host of other volunteer roles along with undertaking pro bono work for various small NGOs.
Siebum said she was proud to join Freshcare with its established reputation in the industry and at such an exciting time for members following the organisation’s Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) accreditation last year.
“Freshcare provides such an important enabling role for the industry and I am looking forward to strengthening our position and providing a strong voice for our members and participating businesses,” said Siebum.
“My approach is very much about listening and getting out to hear feedback from our industry stakeholders before using these insights to form a view, and work with the team and board on the opportunities and what the next stage of evolution might look like for Freshcare. This will include consideration of what emerging technologies we may be able to offer our members to support improvements in productivity, efficiencies, and sustainability. It’s a great time to be involved.”
