To assist producers, develop and implement business plans, a panel of professional service providers and agricultural consultants are available. These advisors can help you in the areas you identified for improvement in the Self-Assessment Checklist. Some may charge a fee, however this is potentially rebatable through QRIDA’s Farm Management Grants. You can learn more about each panellist and their area of expertise here:
Kylie Wilson – Lawyer – Partner, Sparke Helmore
Kylie is a recognised succession planning law expert, listed in the Best Lawyers Australia 2021 to 2024 editions for Wealth Management/Succession Planning Practice, and an accredited SMSF Specialist Advisor and an accredited Family Business Advisor.
She has worked with family businesses for over 20 years and has many business clients in their third and fourth generation. Ensuring the business can remain viable, without the risk of litigation devolving business assets, is one of her key areas of specialty. Kylie also works closely with advisors to prepare compliant solutions for a range of clients with complex structures as well as rural and business clients and families with diverse dynamics.
Kylie also has extensive experience in advising corporate clients on a range of commercial law matters such as borrowing arrangements, group restructures, joint ventures, partnerships and shareholders agreements. She has also acted in Supreme Court matters relevant to proprietary estoppel, minority shareholder issues and misleading and deceptive conduct in family business disputes.
Kylie has been awarded the SPAA CEO Scholarship and the SMSF Association Prize for the Professional Certificate in Self-Managed Superannuation Funds from the University of Adelaide Business School.
She regularly presents seminars and provides training sessions to professional advisers on current issues in intergenerational business transactions, structures and associated disputes.
Jodie Knowlton – Partner – Business Services BDO
Jodie has extensive experience in providing advisory, taxation and accounting services to clients in a range of industries, across all stages of a business lifecycle, in particular, she has a strong passion for supporting clients in the food and agriculture industry. Her advice is founded on strong relationships, which she builds through gaining a holistic understanding of her clients’ goals and factors that impact their decision making. She continually seeks to find fit-for-purpose solutions for her clients, utilising her knowledge and networks (both within BDO and external) to ensure the best outcomes.
Mitchell Witt – Partner – Risk Advisory Services BDO
Michael is a risk, operational performance and sustainability specialist focused on assisting clients with their complex business problems. With more than 10 years’ experience, primarily in managing and delivering risk management consulting, internal audit, control assurance, and strategic management consulting for statutory bodies, government owned cooperations, local government sector and state government departments. Mitchell also has a passion for assisting his clients in navigating their sustainability journey by leveraging his engineering and risk management experience.
Nicole Richter – Director – Business Services BDO
Nicole is a director with the Business Services team in Brisbane. She has over 20 years’ experience in providing professional advice and services to a wide range of SME businesses. She has worked directly with private entities and high net worth individuals across various industries to provide business advice on succession strategies, estate planning, financial reporting, governance, and tax. Nicole takes a very hands-on approach in helping business and individuals to achieve their goals. She prides herself on building strong relationships with her clients, no matter what the size, which allows her to advise her clients with solutions that suits their needs and goals. Nicole has a strong interest and is passionate about the food and agriculture industry.
Marina Skinner – Family Business Specialist – Generational Harmony
Marina is a family business specialist, a holistic offering for owners, founders, multi-generational families, and high net worth individuals. As an accredited Family Business Adviser and trainer with over 20 years’ experience in the industry Marina is able to assist clients in establishing the building blocks for business success that balance the business and the family for harmony, growth, and a competitive advantage. Marina’s passion is in working with clients to create a legacy and develop alignment of vision and values with owners and family through education, workshops, facilitating family meetings, family retreats, developing family charters, establishing, and chairing family councils and family advisory boards. Based in Brisbane, working nationally and internationally Marina speaks, writes, and contributes to research and thought leadership on the unique challenges and opportunities of families in business and business families.
Lloyd Russell – Director – TCB Solutions
Lloyd and Julie Russel established TCB Solutions in May 2008 for the specific purpose of servicing the family and private business sector. The prime focus of TCB Solutions is the provision of strategic, governance and performance improvement services that deliver practical tailored solutions for the family and its associated businesses. Strategic thinking and challenging the status quo, while preserving the family legacy is a critical component of what TCB Solutions provide to their clients, especially when undertaking family continuity engagements.
Susan Bryant – Financial Advisor, Seeds of Advice
Susan specialises in developing financial planning strategies for well- established rural families who want a better future for their farm and their family. Susan is all about helping families find their own stories and she breathes life into dreams and aspirations you have for the ones here now and for those to come. She believes family is the heart of everything we hold dear. There’s a generation of farmers who want to find a better way to manage the family farm to the next generation and build a meaningful life for themselves beyond the farm gate.
Ian Moss – Agronomist – FARM Agronomy & Resource Management
Ian Moss is the Founder and current Managing Director of Farm Agronomy & Resource Management Pty Ltd (FARM). Ian graduated from University of Queensland (Gatton College) with an Associated Diploma of Applied Science majoring in Agronomy & Farm Management in 1989. For over 25 years Ian has worked for and with farmers, local resellers, research bodies and Multi-Nationals. Through this diverse experience, Ian has an excellent and thorough understanding of Australian Agriculture, but his passion has always been agronomy consulting and working with innovative farmers who are leading the way in developing economic sustainability for themselves and the industry. In 2009, Ian founded FARM – starting out with a blank canvas, an idea he was passionate about and a mobile office, he purposefully built the FARM business one client at a time which has grown to the busy, diverse and exciting business that it is today.