ABRI Commences Search for Next Managing Director
MEDIA RELEASE 29/07/2025
Chair of the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI) Angela Schuster today announced ABRI has commenced a global recruitment process for a new Managing Director.
Current Managing Director Anita Kauffmann’s contract ends towards the end of 2025.
“In August 2024 the ABRI Board commenced a journey to transform ABRI into a commercially focused company more closely aligned to our customers and able to deliver on stakeholder expectations,” Ms Schuster said.
“The Board appointed Anita Kauffmann as Managing Director with a brief to implement the short-term objectives in the Board's 2025-2030 Strategic Plan and kick-start the change ABRI needed.
“Anita has performed exceptionally well as a transformational leader.
“She has restructured the ABRI team, appointed new executive leadership from outside the organisation and embedded a performance-driven, customer-centric culture grounded in ABRI’s values.
“By reconnecting our people to purpose and customers, and clearing barriers to collaboration, ABRI is now better aligned, more accountable and equipped to serve a growing customer base.
“Anita has initiated a significant transformation to our information systems to ensure our core infrastructure is more secure, agile and able to support future development at commercial scale.
“Through better communication, service improvements and consistent delivery, customer satisfaction for ABRI’s services has improved significantly,” Ms Schuster said.
With the end of Ms Kauffmann’s contract approaching and the successful achievement of the Board’s short-term priorities, Anita will now support the Board in beginning the process to secure a new Managing Director, who will take the next steps in the transformation of ABRI.
“Our next managing director will lead ABRI through its next phase of growth as a premier provider of commercial solutions for the agricultural industry, not just in genetics but across a broader range of data-driven technology and advisory services,” Ms Schuster said.
“Our vision for the next phase in our strategy implementation is about positioning ABRI to better serve the industry, by refining our capabilities, accelerating access to innovation and creating the conditions for sustainable, long-term collaboration and investment.
“To support the next stage of our growth we are looking for a managing director with a commercial focus to create commercialisation pathways and lead ABRI’s investment readiness and commercial collaboration to accelerate ABRI’s transformation,” she said.
Media Contact:
Tim Powell M: 0411 725 595 E: tim.powell@secnewgate.com.au
ABOUT ABRI
ABRI is at the forefront of livestock breeding technology, delivering leading-edge, data-driven solutions that enhance the productivity, sustainability and profitability of the global agricultural industry. With over 50 years’ experience, ABRI is a leading provider of innovative AgTech products, software services and technology solutions, including the BREEDPLAN Genetic Evaluation, and our breed registry suite. Our objectives include improving the rate of genetic gain to assist producers in meeting value chain demands in current and future markets.
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