New SPA independent director Kerry Harris.

PROFESSIONAL board consultant and accountant Kerry Harris has been appointed as Sheep Producers Australia’s new non-executive independent director.

Ms Harris and former PrimeSafe chief executive officer Brendan Tatham take the positions of retiring SPA directors Allison Horswill and Dr Anne Astin, who was the body’s finance and risk committee chair.

Ms Harris is a director of the board and executive advisory business Focus Consultants and holds a number of other board-related positions. She is also chair of the membership and advocacy organisation Women Onside and has been a former chief operating officer of Gymnastics Australia and executive manager of the WA Football Commission.

She is a non-executive director of the Veterinary Practitioners Board of Victoria and a nominations committee member of CPA Australia.

An SPA statement said Ms Harris skills and experience are within the areas of financial strategy, governance oversight, strategy development and risk management, and she is an experienced non-executive director and finance, risk and audit committee chair.

Ms Harris holds a Bachelor of Commerce, majoring in accounting and marketing from Curtin University, is a fellow of CPA Australia and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Ms Harris said the SPA appointment will enable her to use her skills in strategy, financial strategy and management, governance, digital transformation and risk management to support the Australian sheep industry to achieve a productive, profitable and sustainable future.

“I respect the collaborative decision-making ethos of a board and look forward to working with the SPA board to identify additional services and benefits to advance the interests of SPA’s members and stakeholders.”

SPA independent chair Andrew Spencer said Ms Harris has board and executive experience in social enterprise, charities, member organisations and the sport sector.

“We welcome Kerry’s appointment, and we look forward to working with her and having her contribution to the board.

“The focus of the SPA board continues to be on building a stronger and more effective representative body for the sheep industry,” he said.

“While there is still work to be done, I look forward to what we can achieve with the new board members and continued collaboration with the policy council, members, government, and stakeholders.”

The SPA board now consists of chair Mr Spencer, independent director Ms Harris, and directors Dr Elizabeth Jackson, Jamie Heinrich, Robert Herrmann, Bindi Murray, Ben Thomas and Brendan Tatham, who is currently on leave from the SPA and acting as the interim chief executive officer of Victorian Farmers Federation.