AGM sets us up for Conservation Without Borders

Today we held our 2014 Annual General Meeting to celebrate one of the most significant years in our 32 year history.

A key change in Greening Australia happened during the past financial year, with our structure changing from autonomous, state based entities to a truly national organisation with an independent skills based board.

Our incoming President, Gordon Davis paid tribute to his predecessor Rod Douglas and retiring state board directors who showed the courage and leadership to take the organisation forward.

Mr Davis said that over the years Greening Australia had flourished and done amazing restoration work under the direction and management of state based entities and boards. However, to move forward the organisation needed to implement conservation and restoration activities in a manner that isn’t constrained by state boundaries.

“Greening Australia is leading Australia’s environmental restoration effort by implementing its new strategy Conservation Without Borders, through partnerships with landholders and the broader community, to restore Australia’s unique landscapes so that people and wildlife can co-exist and thrive.

“The new governance arrangements with a single national, skills based Board, with Advisory Councils at a regional level will set the organisation up to operate as a conservation organisation with a corporate approach and business discipline, while maintaining strong local community involvement.

“I would really like to thank the out-going president Rod Douglas and former Vice President Bill Biggs, they displayed great leadership to set Greening Australia up for the future.” Mr Davis said.

More about Gordon Davis

Gordon Davis has an honours degree in Forest Science from the University of Melbourne, and a masters degree from the University of Tasmania. He spent 10 years with the Tasmanian Forestry Commission in field and management roles. He then completed an MBA at the Melbourne Business School in 1990, before working with the then leader of the opposition, John Hewson, as a policy advisor.

Gordon joined ICI Australia (now Orica Limited) in 1993, as Manager of Corporate Affairs, with responsibility for external communication and government relations.

In 2003 he was appointed to run Orica Explosives global accounts, before taking over management of the $1B turnover Orica Explosives Australia/Asia business.

In 2006 Gordon was appointed CEO of AWB Limited where he reformed the constitution and structure, initiating a major restructure and recapitalisation of the balance sheet. In the process fundamentally modernising the business culture and operating performance. Gordon explored various growth strategies, including mergers with other ASX listed companies, before the Canadian company Agrium successfully acquired it in 2010.

Gordon was appointed Chair of VicForests by the Victorian Minister of Agriculture Peter Walsh in October 2011.

He was appointed non-executive directorships with NuFarm Limited in May 2011 and The Nature Conservancy in 2013.