Our people

Our Board and Leadership team have extensive experience in developing globally competitive agriculture to best international standards of veterinary practice, animal husbandry, and traceability.

Board

Dr Richard Trivett

Chairman

Dr Richard Trivett studied Veterinary Science at the University of Queensland and worked in private practice until joining GRM International in 1968. After heavy involvement in the development and management of large-scale cattle operations in Northern Australia, he oversaw the establishment and growth of AUSTREX (from within GRM) to the global livestock trading company it is today. Richard was a previous member and Chairman of the Livestock Export Research and Development Committee (LERDAC) and chairs the Australian Rural Export Animal Welfare Committee.

Justin Slaughter

Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer

Justin Slaughter is a Principal, Managing Director and CEO of AgTrade Group / AUSTREX and affiliated companies in Australia, Asia and the Americas. Justin has almost 30 years’ experience in developing global markets for livestock and agricultural products. He is a past Livestock Industry Young Achiever and represented 44 members as Chairman of the Queensland Livestock Exporters Association (QLEA) for eight years and has also served as a cattle representative director of the Australian Live Exporters Council (ALEC). Justin was born in Mount Isa, raised on a farm in the South Burnett region of Queensland and has a passion for developing global markets for quality agricultural produce.

Leadership Team

Tianzhao (Tommy) Gu

Director – China
Tianzhao (Tommy) graduated from Nanjing Agricultural University with a Masters in Veterinary Science and began his career as official vet for the Shenzhen Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, where he gained an in-depth knowledge of livestock export policies and operations. Since joining AUSTREX in 2009, Tommy has provided critical advice and guidance to the company and been actively involved in business negotiations and supporting valued Chinese customers.

Andrew McGown

General Manager
Andrew leads AgTrade’s Supply Chain and New Business acquisitions. He has a comprehensive record of leadership, innovation, and performance across a range of diverse and complex international agricultural businesses.

Andrew has worked extensively throughout Asia, Europe and the United States, developing and growing international commodity markets, and has a proven history of successfully managing people with warmth, while developing high performance businesses.

Andrew maintains a strong connection to Australian agriculture, having owned broadacre farming enterprises. Currently, his family owns and operates a small cattle property in SEQ.

Mike Ball

Chief Operating Officer
Mike is responsible for the finance, new investment evaluation, strategic planning, company secretarial, legal, people and other corporate shared service functions for the AgTrade Group. Mike joined AgTrade in December 2018 after 25 years with the Wesfarmers Group in comparable roles across a range of industries including agribusiness and mining.

Mike has qualifications in Law (UWA), is admitted as a solicitor, has post-graduate finance qualifications (FINSIA) and has completed the Advanced Management Program at INSEAD.

Jodie Briggs

General Manager, People and Culture
Jodie joined AUSTREX in 2010 and now leads human resources, recruitment and professional development for both the AgTrade parent company and its portfolio of businesses, a role covering a team of over 250 people across Australia and offshore locations. Before joining the company, Jodie had a career spanning a diverse range of people, training and development roles, and has lived and worked on pastoral properties in outback Queensland, New South Wales and the Northern Territory. Jodie holds a Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) from the University of Queensland.

Hamish Davidson

Chief Risk Officer
Hamish is responsible for risk management across the Group portfolio. With over 20 years of experience in commercial finance, including international investment banking, equity trading, commodities trading and supply chain management, Hamish brings a wealth of experience to AgTrade.

Previously the Chief Financial Officer at Wilmar Trading Australia and a qualified Chartered Accountant, Hamish has also worked for Goldman Sachs and UBS AG in Europe, Asia and Australia. Hamish’s wealth of complex business experience will help to support strategic decision making and drive efficiencies across the business.

Paul Tippett

General Manager, Global Breeding – AUSTREX
Paul leads the AUSTREX team’s Breeding livestock division, sourcing high quality breeding and dairy livestock for international markets. Paul previously led the AUSTREX NZ Global Breeding division, with vast experience in dairy, sheep and beef production, and in the bloodstock industry.

He has additional experience in sourcing cattle from both North and South America for the Chinese market. Paul has previously worked for Landmark Global Exports, working across Australia and New Zealand in cattle procurement, quarantine and as a stockman accompanying livestock on ships and aircraft.

David Reed

General Manager – AUSTREX

David leads the Japan F1 Wagyu feeder and elite dairy breeder livestock businesses, as well as the AUSTREX air freight business which exports high genetic value breeding cattle, sheep, milking goats and alpacas to multiple markets. He joined AUSTREX in 2014, having previously worked with Fairfax Media and Elders International, where he developed a strong background in agribusiness and international trade. David grew up on a mixed farming enterprise in Mid North South Australia and has qualifications in marketing through a Bachelor of Management from the University of SA.

Nick Thompson

General Manager – Paradigm Foods
Nick leads Paradigm Foods, the AgTrade Group’s rapidly-growing Australian-processed boxed beef and other export protein business, including the Group’s premium Wagyu beef export operations. Nick fostered a passion for agriculture from a young age growing up on his family’s property in country New South Wales.

Throughout his career, he has worked within the food industry, with experience in developing branded meat programs across the Middle East, Asia and China. Highly respected for his industry knowledge, Nick delivers value through his outstanding relationships with his team and supply chain partners.

Warren Mainey

General Manager – Hay Australia

Warren leads the overall management of our hay processing facilities, driving efficiencies for our fixed assets. Warren has nearly 20 years’ experience in MD, GM, and Head of Finance roles, and is a fully qualified Chartered Accountant.

Warren most recently spent 5 years as the MD of Goodman Fielder PNG, which operates a diverse manufacturing, import & distribution business in Papua New Guinea.

Charlie Brown

Director, International Sales – Hay Australia

Charlie leads the AgTrade Group’s livestock nutrition, hay and fodder operations. Charlie has worked in commodity markets for more than 18 years and has qualifications spanning Agribusiness, Export Management and Financial Markets.

He spent time in London and Switzerland running a trading team for one of Europe’s largest hedge funds and, in 2012, returned to Australia to trade grain for Cargill. In 2018, Charlie joined the AgTrade group to establish ThriveAgri, a physical agricultural commodities trading business supplying nutritional feed products to global livestock supply chains. Charlie grew up on a mixed farming operation on Queensland’s Darling Downs.

Lucy McKee

General Manager – NatureBase
Lucy leads our NatureBase business, working with landholders and corporations to unlock value through natural capital markets. Lucy has extensive general management experience with a track record leading multidisciplinary teams to solve complex technical challenges in highly regulated and sensitive environments.

Lucy brings 20+ years of experience working across Australia, Europe, Africa and Asia, primarily within the Energy sector. She holds a Master of Business Administration from IMD, Switzerland as wells as a Bachelor of Engineering (Chemical) and a Bachelor of Science (Biochemistry) from the University of Adelaide.