Rural Leaders

A good mentor isn't necessarily the person who gives you the right answer. Sometimes, they're the person who asks the question that helps you find it yourself, challenges an assumption, notices the progress you can't see, and gives you someone to call when you're stuck. In this episode of the Rural Leaders podcast, Kristy Hollis and Cass Wilson share what they've learnt through their mentoring rel...

Matt Norton has always been someone who likes to move quickly, solve problems and keep things progressing. As Director of AgDSA, he helps agricultural businesses navigate complex planning approvals, environmental compliance and government processes. But through his leadership journey, Matt discovered that one of his greatest strengths could also be one of his biggest blind spots. In this episode o...

Matt Norton has always been someone who likesto move quickly, solve problems and keep things progressing. As Director of AgDSA, he helps agricultural businesses navigate complex planning approvals, environmental compliance and government processes. But through his leadershipjourney, Matt discovered that one of his greatest strengths could also be one of his biggest blind spots. In this episode of...

Tanya Stevenson believes one simple philosophy has shaped every successful project she's been part of: never do anything alone. As CEO of the Hervey Bay Neighbourhood Centre, Tanya has spent more than two decades bringing people together to tackle complex community challenges. Whether it's improving children's literacy, creating innovative wellbeing experiences, supporting foster famil...

Action is not about moving faster. It's about knowing where you can create change, bringing people with you, and having the courage to begin before everything is figured out. In this episode of Rural Leaders, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Mikaela Jade, Founder and CEO of Indigital, and Joanna Baker, Chief Operating and Financial Officer, who first met through the Australian Rural Leadership Pr...

Leadership is not about a title. It is about how you show up, who you serve, and what you do when the pressure is on. In this episode of Rural Leaders, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with David Jochinke, Wimmera farmer, ARLP Course 18 alumni, former President of the Victorian Farmers Federation and former President of the National Farmers’ Federation. David reflects on a leadership journey shaped by...

Change is a constant in rural, regional and remote Australia, but adapting well is something we all have to learn. In this episode of Rural Leaders, host Oli Le Lievre sits down with Dr Ananth Gopal, co-founder of Polykala, to explore what adaptability really looks like in practice. Drawing on years of experience in leadership development and experiential learning, Ananth unpacks why adaptation is...

Alyssia Kennedy knows what it feels like to leave school and realise that knowing how to pass exams is not the same as knowing how to navigate adulthood. Growing up in Tasmania, Alyssia saw firsthand the gap between what students are taught in the classroom and the practical life skills young people need when it comes to budgeting, understanding taxes, navigating Medicare, managing car expenses, a...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. ‘Communities thrive when people gather.’ This is...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, we...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, we...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed , w...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed , w...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, we...

In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed , we sit down with Courtney Palmer, a proud Worimi Woman whose career has spanned corporate retail leadership and community impact projects. From leading Big W teams across Queensland and the Northern Territory to championing the Happy Boxes social impact project, Courtney has always been drawn to supporting people to be their best and achieve collecti...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal , thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative . In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed ,...

In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, we’re joined by Diana Sanchez, who lives and works in Toowoomba as a laboratory coordinator in the seed and grain industry. It’s a position that reflects her determination and drive to better herself and stretch herself. When Diana and her husband decided in 2020 to relocate from their home in Colombia to re-set their lives and develop their English l...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. There’s nothing like a fresh perspective to flip...

In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, we’re joined by David Keetch, a seasoned agricultural researcher who first embraced ag as a highschool student growing up in Adelaide. Now, as Nufarm’s Green-on-Green Program Director, he leads two national projects focused on developing advanced in-crop camera-spraying technologies and herbicide solutions tailored to Australian farming systems. If it...

This conversation is part of a series exploring the impact of the Changemaker Workshops delivered across more than 30 regions by the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation and the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal, thanks to the Future Drought Fund. These workshops are part of the Helping Regional Communities Prepare for Drought Initiative. In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, we...

In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed , we sit down with Jason Strong, former Managing Director of Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) and a leader with more than 30 years’ experience in the red meat and livestock industries. Since wrapping up his role with MLA at the end of 2023, Jason has embraced the chance to shift gears and follow his curiosity and passions. From this vantage point, Ja...

We’ve just marked National Reconciliation Week for 2025 – the theme centred on ‘Bridging Now to Next’. In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, we sit down with a veteran of Indigenous affairs and graduate of the third Australian Rural Leadership Program, John Paterson. John fondly recalls the expansion of perspective the ARLP gave him. Within his cohort, John was looked to for leadership an...

In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed , the Unbreakable Farmer , mental health crusader Warren Davies, speaks to us about the insights and stories he feels privileged to share in as he travels around rural Australia. He reflects on the forces buffeting the communities he speaks to, and particularly the impact that the rapid transition to renewable energy sources is having throughout countr...

In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed, Australian Rural Leadership Foundation CEO, Matt Linnegar, sits down with former Australian diplomat and founder of Geopolitical Strategy, Michael Feller, for a conversation about leadership in an increasingly chaotic global environment. Matt and Michael examine how leaders internationally are navigating rapid change and disruption. They discuss the l...

In this episode of Rural Leadership Unearthed , we have joined forces with the Ducks on the Pond podcast to bring you a conversation about advocacy; systems thinking; solutions journalism and more.   In this chat with Ducks on the Pond co-host and founder of the Rural Podcasting Co, Kirsten Diprose, and Catherine Marriott OAM – an ‘agvocate’, ARLF Associate and former WA Rural Woman of the Year, w...