Directors

Stephen spent 30 years as a dairy farmer including 9 years as secretary of the local Landcare group and 17 years on the Board of an agricultural co-operative. He now lives in Tatura and runs a retail business while continuing a long history of community involvement as Chair of GV Agcare and representing the Goulburn Valley on the Board of AgBiz Assist.

Chartered Accountant with over 13 years of experience supporting small to medium enterprises, particularly in the agricultural sector. As a Director at Belmores, he specializes in digital transformation, governance, and strategic advisory. Raised on a farm, Ben is passionate about rural communities and actively contributes through leadership roles in local organizations.

His expertise spans financial solutions, IT implementation, and social enterprise, aligning with his commitment to regional economic and social wellbeing.

Lachlan has a career in agribusiness dedicated to delivering best outcomes for primary producers and post farm gate businesses. He holds a Bachelor of Agribusiness from the University of New England and a Master of Agribusiness from Marcus Oldham and is involved in agricultural advisory groups and committees around industry innovation.

Lachlan’s current role is Regional Manager for one of the financiers where he manages a team of frontline bankers to assist farmers in their day-to-day finance needs. 

 Lachlan’s passion for agriculture comes from his upbringing, influenced by family farming businesses, and is sustained through his ongoing work in the agribusiness sector. 

Chris is a retired Chartered Accountant with deep experience supporting farming and regional businesses across North East Victoria and South West NSW. A former Partner at Belmores Accounting, Yarrawonga, he now serves on the Yarrawonga Health Board and provides pro bono governance and advisory support to regional not‑for‑profit organisations.

With a broad acre farming background and long-standing community involvement, Chris brings practical regional insight and strong financial stewardship to Agbiz Assist Ltd.

Fiona farms with her family in the Rennie area north of Mulwala. They are broadacre, dryland grain growers also operating a prime lamb enterprise.  Fiona is a life-long learner with a background in applied science and education. She is a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the NFF Diversity in Ag Leadership Program, the Grains Social Leadership Program and the Farmers for Climate Action Climate Smart Agriculture Scholarship.

She is the Chair of Riverine Plains Farming Systems Group, is currently serving on the Grain Growers Board and is very involved in her local community. She is passionate about building skills and capacity within rural communities.

Anita Sutherland is a strategic Board Member at Agbiz Assist and works within Bendigo Bank’s AgriCare team, supporting agribusiness customers experiencing financial hardship. With a background spanning agribusiness banking, financial counselling, rural economic development and marketing, she brings a unique combination of commercial expertise and client advocacy to her work.

Holding a Master of Counselling and a Diploma of Financial Counselling, Anita is passionate about helping farming families and regional businesses navigate financial challenges while building long-term resilience. As a Board Member, she is committed to strengthening AgBiz Assist’s strategic direction, promoting sustainable outcomes, and supporting resilient rural communities across Australia.

High level involvement in farming, business and community roles have rewarded David with not only a long service history but also deep connections and a sound understanding of rural life.

Overseeing strategic and financial performance as well as managing the very important interaction between employees and stakeholders for more than 30 years are other valuable assets he brings to his board position.

Loretta is a senior executive, recognised for her strategic leadership, expertise in governance, financial stewardship, and her ability to drive organisational growth and community engagement. Currently, serving as Executive Officer for the Victorian Strawberry Growers Association, Loretta leads advocacy efforts, oversees budgets, and drives member engagement strategies. 

Loretta is deeply committed to her local community where she volunteers as Deputy Controller with the State Emergency Service (SES), is an active member of Rotary and serves on the local Municipal emergency Management Planning Committee.

After growing up in the Western District and starting working life as a banker in a small country town, Patrick gained 25+ years of experience in the Information Technology sector working throughout the APAC region. Life has brought him full circle where he now lives in Shepparton and is keen to bring his passion for technology innovation to assist rural communities.

He is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and brings a wide range of business and technology skills to the board.