QUEENSLAND livestock industry stalwart, Brendan Wade, has been appointed chief operating officer with live export and meat processing specialist, Wellard.
Mr Wade, who left Landmark last year, has had more than 30 years in the cattle industry.
A past national president of the Australian Livestock and Property Agents Association (ALPA), he established his own stock agency, Watkins and Company at Roma, before becoming livestock manager for Landmark.
He was responsible for its livestock division in Queensland and northern and central NSW and was also a director of AuctionsPlus and Landmark Real Estate.
“Wellard appointed Brendan because he is highly regarded by family cattle producers, corporate farmers and other supply chain participants,” said chief executive officer, Mauro Balzarini.
“We believe he is the right person to lead our operations team as well as a great relationship manager with the stock agents and producers who supply cattle to Wellard.”
Mr Wade said live exports were an important part of the livestock business and their growth reflected the enormous potential the industry possessed.
“The markets Wellard has developed, and continues to develop, are demanding Australian cattle so they can provide protein to the population as well as value adding opportunities for local industries,” he said.
Meanwhile, Scot Braithwaite will take on the chief business development officer’s job in another significant leadership appointment by Wellard, as the company expands its business in Asia and the Middle East.
“Scot will be focussed on extending our presence in key growth markets such as Turkey, Israel and China, while ensuring our business into Indonesia remains the backbone of our operations,” Mr Balzarini said.
Wellard is Australia’s largest cattle exporter with a 30-year history of shipping dairy and beef cattle, sheep and goats overseas.
The West Australian-based company’s international operations cover export livestock selection and aggregation, pre-export quarantine facilities, and feed milling, and it runs a fleet of specialised “floating farm” livestock carriers.
Wellard also has a modern abattoir in Western Australia, Beaufort River Meats, processing up to 2500 sheep and lambs a day.
Its is also developing feedlots and an abattoir in a joint venture with Fulida Group in China.
