After attending La Trobe and Melbourne Universities where he obtained a Bachelor and Masters degree respectively in Agricultural Science, Robert has worked as an Agricultural Consultant from Cootamundra, NSW since 1978. In 1987 he commenced his own consultancy business, which has now become Rural Management Strategies with three senior employed consultants becoming partners in the business. This business now has five professional consultants with offices in Cootamundra and Wagga Wagga NSW.
Robert has had a broad range of farm business management experience, consulting to management of broadacre mixed farming businesses, plus intensive pig and poultry operations in southern NSW. His main interests are the sustainability and economics of temperate farming systems, plus farm business management and strategic planning, including transition/succession and estate planning, for multi-generational rural businesses.
Robert is a Graduate of Australian Institute of Company Directors and due to his experience in business and financial management, he has held roles on boards of industry bodies, including membership and chairing of Audit, Finance & Risk Committees.
New Zealand in 2011 was the first IFMA Congress which Robert attended. He was so impressed that he has attended every Congress since and was elected to the IFMA Council in 2017. Robert is a member of the organizing committee for the Congress being held in Launceston Tasmania in 2019.