Beef Australia has announced The Graeme Acton Beef Connections Mentor Partners for 2021.
The program was launched at Beef Australia in 2015 in memory of the late Graeme Acton, and this year attracted a record number of applicants from throughout Australia.
The number of women who applied and have been successful celebrates the growth of the industry.
Beef Australia chair Bryce Camm, who founded the program in 2015, said the strength of the Australian beef industry comes from its people and The Graeme Acton Beef Connections program had produced impressive leaders who were already making positive impacts on the industry.
"I am looking forward to meeting the 2021 Mentor Partners and following their journey," Mr Camm said.
The ten mentor partners were selected by a panel from an impressive field of young beef industry professionals. The diverse applicants represented agribusiness, live export, research and development, producers, processing, natural resource management, feed companies, breed societies, lot feeding, government and students.
The successful mentor partners and their industries are: Caitlyn Barton, feedlot; Rebecca Clapperton, producer; Hugh Courts, agribusiness; Georgia Glasson, producer; Chloe Gould, processor; Kari Moffat, live export; Caitlin Obst, feedlot; Ryan Olive, producer; Kate Power, processor; and Ellen Simpson, agribusiness.
Each one will be paired with industry mentors to undertake a 14-month project which will benefit the Australian beef industry.
Barbara Bishop co-ordinates the program and said she now has the critical task of ensuring each mentor partner is matched with the best possible mentor.
"It is important to not only align for the development of personal and professional skills, we want to see industry networks developed to ensure long-term success," Ms Bishop said
Caitlyn Barton and Caitlin Obst, both from Mort & Co, have been selected as 2021 mentor partners.
They are both thrilled and honoured to be selected as part of the Graeme Acton Beef Connections Program.
"It is a privilege to be given the opportunity to further develop ourselves and give back to the industry that has provided us so much," they said.
After starting as a graduate trainee manager with the business, Caitlyn Barton progressed to the feeding and milling team at Grassdale Feedlot.
Following her successful stint at the mill, Ms Barton took up a traineeship in livestock before graduating to the Mort & Co livestock team.
Taking a slightly different path, Caitlin Obst has remained focused on the operational side of the business. Initially joining Mort & Co as part of the feedlot livestock team at Grassdale, Ms Obst progressed to a leading hand role, before being accepted into the Mort & Co Graduate Program.
Currently occupying the position of feedlot operations trainee as part of that, Ms Obst receives accelerated learning and exposure to a full range of experiences within the feedlot environment.
