MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — Grains Australia has expanded its team with the hiring of four experienced grain industry professionals across strategy and communications and trade and market access businesses.

Grains Australia, an initiative of the Grains Research & Development Corp. (GRDC), is responsible for vital industry services and functions that improve the industry’s competitiveness and profitability.

“The new Grains Australia team members, who have started with us in the last two months, bring a wealth of experience and will consolidate our ability to service the connection between what the market wants and what the Australian grains industry can provide,” Simonaitis said.

Natalie Lee joins Grains Australia as general manager, strategy and communication, bringing significant strategic communications experience from her previous roles at the Grower Group Alliance, GRDC, Cox Inall Communications and West Australian Newspapers Holdings. Lee is a partner in her family’s mixed broadacre farming business in Western Australia’s Upper Great Southern region.

Peter Breguet has been hired as senior manager, trade and market access, and has experience in agricultural commodity marketing and grain quality, and a strong exposure to the grains industry. Breguet has worked with grain processor Unigrain in cargo export certification (ASC) and with a number of agricultural commodity storage and trading companies. He is based in Victoria and is well-versed in fostering relationships with industry, government and international partners.

Lachlan Evans is the new trade and market access manager, bringing experience across diplomacy, government relations, trade and politics. Evans has been working for the Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development and has worked with various ministerial offices and Federal Government departments.

Tatjana Karov joins as council coordination manager, bringing expertise across agricultural economics, research, marketing and technical communications. Karov previously worked for GRDC’s National Variety Trials (NVT) program and the University of Arkansas Rice Research and Extension Center in Stuttgart, Arkansas, US. She is based in Victoria.