Our Team
Tony Hartley
Managing Director
Tony has 40 years’ experience in agriculture and horticulture. His expert knowledge encompasses field agronomy, business management and technical roles at state and national levels. He is investigative, tenacious, collaborative and thorough, skills which enable him to comprehend and develop strategies to resolve complex issues. He has been involved in all aspects of agriculture and horticulture including, but not limited to, livestock and broadacre crop production, horticultural crop production, crop protection, forestry appraisals, operation efficiency comparisons and all aspects of agricultural business development, management, marketing and appraisals.
Don McDougall
Director
Don has spent 35 years finding solutions for farmers, the government and in agribusiness for a diverse range of agricultural enterprises where his role was to identify and strategically manage the risks to these businesses. He has worked extensively throughout Australia, New Zealand and North America. Don also presents at universities, industry conferences, consultant forums and agribusiness conferences on a range of professional development topics. He has a strong focus on finding solutions for the many issues that affect agriculture with extensive experience in the management of multi claimant losses.
Mal Frick
Director
Mal has extensive agricultural experience including strategic planning, operational management of horticultural farming operations including a wide range of orchard and vegetable crops, broadacre, cropping and sugar. He has worked internationally and developed precision agriculture technologies across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia, engaging with growers and providing crop-management solutions. More recently, he has been involved in agribusiness project consultancy from changes in property use to large multi‐discipline regional projects. Mal is focused on positioning the sector to take advantage of the opportunities ahead while successfully dealing with any challenges along the way.
Tony O’Connor
Director
Over the 35 years he has been in the workforce, Tony has accumulated a diverse range of skills having worked in positions that have taken him from Queensland cattle stations to corporate boardrooms. After university, Tony spent some years on Queensland cattle stations before moving to Sydney to complete a masters degree after which he worked in corporate finance. His agricultural and corporate finance experience were instrumental in him being recruited by an international bank to establish and head up a division specialising in project finance for agricultural projects. Since moving back to Queensland, Tony has been involved in a number of start up ventures. He has also been involved in feasibility studies and advisory assignments across many different agricultural sectors at all levels from primary production to corporate and tertiary levels.
John Biggs
Director
John has a passion for horticulture which has seen him working and studying around the world including in Israel, Spain, France, Bulgaria, Greece, South Africa, Malaysia, Cambodia, New Zealand, Japan, China and the US. His knowledge in the field includes a balance of technical information from graduate and post‐graduate studies, along with practical problem‐solving gleaned from our own horticulture production enterprises. His 30 years of practical experience extends to farm development, farm management, pest and disease management, employee training and employee management. His agribusiness experience combines the theoretical foundations of an MBA with decades of real‐world practical experience.
