Hassell, a grain and livestock producer from Pingelly, has been a director at CBH since April 2009. He said a new farm and studying for a doctorate of business administration is keeping him busy and that it’s time to step aside and let one of the next generation take the reins and contribute to the industry.
Hassel also has recently been appointed to the Wool Producers Board and continues his role as a director of Solaris Care.
“I have loved my time on the CBH board and have been honored to represent the growers of WA in running their integrated supply chain,” Hassell said. “It’s never easy to say goodbye but this is a fantastic opportunity for a fresh face on the CBH board, and I would really like to encourage female growers in my district to stand for election.
“It is absolutely essential we get our other 50% of the farming population around the decision-making table. Providing this amount of lead time for people to consider standing for election hopefully leads to a well contested election in my area and a healthy democratic process for the co-operative.”
During his nine years on the board, Hassell has worked through the deregulation of the grain industry, has supported the A$175 million investment in CBH’s rail assets, as well as the Blue Lake Milling investment, and the renewed focus on the co-operative model. He was also a strong supporter of CBH’s recent regional mental health campaign and the introduction of grower service parameters in the Network Strategy.
Wally Newman, chairman of the CBH, thanked Hassell for his contribution to CBH and representation to growers in District 3.
“John has been an exceptional advocate for the co-operative over many years,” Newman said. “On behalf of the board, I sincerely thank John for his contribution to CBH and we wish him and his family every success in his future endeavors.”
This is the most recent leadership transition for the cooperative.
In August, the CBH board appointed Jimmy Wilson as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of the CBH Group, succeeding Andrew Crane, who will step down in late 2017 after more than eight years in the role.
Wilson comes to CBH with extensive experience in complex supply chain management in the resources sector, most recently heading BHP’s Iron Ore division, managing one of the largest and most integrated resource assets in the world, comprising mines, rail and ports.
