FORMER mining executive Simon Westaway has been appointed CEO of the Australian Livestock Exporters’ Council (ALEC).
He steps into the role to replace Alison Penfold who announced in April that she would be pursuing other professional opportunities and departed last week.
Ms Penfold started at ALEC in February 2012 and has led the industry’s recovery from the controversial suspension of live cattle exports to Indonesia in mid-2011 and the imperative to place animal welfare standards central to the industry’s business model.
Respected former Meat and Livestock Australia economist Dr Peter Barnard has been appointed interim ALEC CEO, starting today, with Mr Westaway’s appointment due to commence in coming weeks.
Dr Barnard was MLA’s Trade and Economic Services Manager before he departed about a year ago following an extended career which started in 1991 at the Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation.
ALEC Chair Simon Crean announced the appointments today.
Mr Crean said Mr Westaway’s proven abilities as a senior executive in corporate affairs and strategy in the resources and mining, aviation, tourism and transport, health and government sectors meant he was very well placed to make a significant contribution to the livestock export industry.
Mr Westaway joins ALEC via Melbourne-based corporate advisory firm Hintons & Associates, with previous experience with BHB Billiton, Orica, Tourism Australia, Jetstar Airways and Medibank Private.
Mr Crean said after a four-and-a-half year tenure, Mr Penfold left ALEC “in much stronger shape to meet the significant opportunities and challenges facing our industry”.
“Alison has overseen fundamental changes in the way the livestock export business operates,” he said.
“We thank her for her legacy and she goes with our best wishes for the future.”
Mr Crean said Mr Westaway’s appointment also arrived at a crucial time for the livestock export industry.
He said the live trade continued to be the subject of close scrutiny with questions asked about its commitment to transparency and improvement in animal welfare.
“While we are very proud of Australia’s role in a sophisticated and professional global livestock supply chain, we acknowledge the system is not perfect,” he said.
“That’s why we are determined to be transparent in addressing the concerns of all stakeholders, finding common ground in solutions which support an ethical and economically viable live trade.”
Mr Crean said under Mr Westaway’s leadership, ALEC would continue to support and implement changes across the livestock export industry to better address community concerns about the welfare of livestock in the supply chain.
He said ALEC had a crucial role to play improving engagement levels, transparency and accountability through projects like the development of animal welfare indicators and improvements to the Exporter Supply Chain Assurance System (ESCAS), especially via the Livestock Global Assurance Program (LGAP.
“With this in mind, I am excited to be welcoming Mr Westaway to ALEC and look forward to working with him in progressing the interests of our industry as part of the ongoing mainstream policy discussion,” he said.