Agribusiness leader onto regional investment board

PRUE BONDFIELD, a highly regarded pastoralist and businesswoman, has been appointed to the Regional Investment Corporation board. 

Ms Bondfield is the general manager and director of Palgrove, a livestock business with properties in Queensland and New South Wales. Ms Bondfield also has a background in law and has demonstrated strong corporate governance skills, developed through professional training, her own business enterprise and various industry roles. 

She has held positions as the chair of the Beef Industry Sustainability Framework Steering Committee, a director of the State Management Council for the NSW Livestock Health and Pest Authorities, and has been a director of the Beef Improvement Association. 

The RIC will administer the Coalition Government’s $2 billion farm business concessional loans program and the $2 billion National Water Infrastructure Loan Facility. 

The Federal Government has also appointed David Foster, Lucia Cade and Mark Lewis as members of the RIC board, with David Foster appointed as chair of the board.

Mr Foster has an extensive background in commercial finance having previously worked for both Westpac and Suncorp. Mr Foster is also a current director with Genworth Mortgage Insurance, G8 Education Limited and Local Government Enterprises of Queensland.

Ms Cade has a background in engineering and commercial leadership, with a focus on water infrastructure, utilities and professional services. Ms Cade has beencChair of South East Water, a Victorian government-owned water utility, since October 2015.

Mr Lewis is a former Western Australian Minister for Agriculture and Food and the former Member for Mining and Pastoral on the Western Australian Legislative Council from 2013 to 2017. His prior responsibilities included the Rural Business Development Corporation, which administers loans to primary industries, including concessional loans on behalf of the Commonwealth.

www.agriculture.gov.au/ric