Our Team
Industrial Hemp Australia’s senior management team is drawn from various industry sectors. The company’s directors hold strong business and agricultural backgrounds, which is intrinsic to the commercial success of an industrial hemp industry.
ANDREW PIPPIA
Chairman
Professional Qualifications
Bachelor of Business (Accountancy) and Bachelor of Laws, Queensland University of Technology
Graduate Diploma in Taxation, Central Queensland University
Graduate Diploma in Company Secretarial Practice, Chartered Secretaries Australia
Andrew Pippia is Industrial Hemp Australia’s inaugural Board Chairman, in addition to roles as Legal Counsel and Company Secretary, and has provided primary legal guidance to Agri Fibre Industries Pty Ltd following its incorporation in 1998.
A practising lawyer for over 13 years, Andrew has enjoyed roles in top-tier law and accounting firms, including Blake Dawson and PricewaterhouseCoopers and in-house legal positions with RACQ Limited and Thiess Services Pty Ltd.
Andrew has delivered legal guidance to IHA on matters including commercial contracts, corporate governance, intellectual property protection and taxation concessions.
Andrew’s understanding of the legal framework and issues impacting on the industrial hemp industry has proven him to be a formidable asset to IHA.
JOHN HALL
Managing Director
Professional Qualifications
Bachelor of Applied Science (Rural Technology), University of Queensland
A dynamic leader in Queensland business, John Hall is the Managing Director of Industrial Hemp Australia. John has more than 30 years experience in the agricultural industry in Australia and abroad.
A qualified scientist, John has developed a unique system for crop monitoring and integrated management which has been adopted by six countries worldwide.
John has held various company Directorships throughout his career, including Managing Director of Crop Tech Research and Crop Tech Asia, which is based in Thailand.
John has led a range of major research projects with the University of Queensland and has been extensively consulted by the Queensland Government and John Deere Water Technologies.
John was an instrumental figure in petitioning the Queensland Government to legalise the development of industrial hemp for commercial-scale production in Queensland.
PETER SAWYER
Director
Professional Qualifications
Bachelor of Business (Accounting), Queensland University of Technology
Peter Sawyer joined Industrial Hemp Australia as a Director in 2009 and has played a central role in the company formation, developing the foundations laid down by Agri Fibre Industries Pty Ltd.
As a qualified accountant with over 30 years experience, Peter brings valuable financial expertise to Industrial Hemp Australia’s senior management team.
A Senior Partner at Queensland’s largest regional business and accounting firm Ulton until 2008, Peter oversaw the practice’s operations, financial planning, management, consulting and marketing functions.
An innovative facilitator and highly respected Bundaberg business leader, Peter has been invited to Chair a range of Queensland boards, including the Bundaberg Friendly Society Medical Institute Limited.
JIM HALL
Director and Operations manager
Jim is a very practical innovator with the skills to design and develop machinery and make it work. He has already a very successful pilot hemp decorticator, which has been used for 5 years in testing AFI;s new fibre varieties, and producing fribre for product research. Prior to joining AFI Jim was working on a very successful research project to develop production protocols for chicory in Queensland
Jim also has experience as a shift supervison in an aluminium smelter, where he was responsible for managing production and developing practical operating procedures for everyday staff use. The combination of these experiences and technical expertise that make Jim a very valuable part of the commercialization process.
Finance
Professional Qualifications
Bachelor of Applied Science (Rural Technology), University of Queensland
Penny Hall has a wealth of experience in agribusiness having performed a wide range of functions in a previous business, from technical ( Chief Chemist) to management (CFO and GM) as well as performing HR and marketing roles and has a string of business awards to her credit, including Telstra small business award for Queensland.
She was a founding Director of the Crop Tech group of companies which grew from 1 to 30 staff and developed unique IP in the form of a Crop Management package that represented the worlds’ best practices, using environmentally responsible and sustainable technologies. The company formed an International JV with a US company giving her valuable experience on the global business stage working with T-Systems and the John Deere management teams.
Her technical responsibilities included setting up laboratory operations for Crop Tech in Australia, Japan and Thailand, including training of technical staff, preparing operating procedures and adapting operations for their varied requirements.
Penny was an active member of the Qld Rural Women’s Network sitting on the Health and Safety committee and delivering pesticide awareness programs and was the Farmsafe representative. She is also a regular business Mentor in Bundaberg’s Mentoring for Growth programme, an initiative of the Department of Tourism, Regional Development & Industry to assist small businesses in the local area.
Penny brings not only a mountain of technical and business experience, but the determination required to take a start-up company to profitability in an ethical and sustainable manner.
Certificate in Horticulture (hons) UQ Gatton Campus 1968
B. IT. CQU 2003
Consultant for Plant Breeders Rights IP Australia
David came to AFI with twenty nine years experience in plant breeding with the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries on a wide variety of horticultural crops from seedless citrus varieties to disease resistant tomatoes and capsicums.
David was a consultant for the Australian Business Volunteers (AusAid funding) for two projects involving Citrus agronomy in Papua New Guinea in 1998 and 1999.
David has been working as the AFI plant breeder for eight years during that time he has bred a range of low THC sub-tropical varieties with excellent grain yield potential, large seeds and good essential fatty acid profiles.
From the lines produced so far, five have gained certification of grant from IP Australia for Plant breeders Rights and two further varieties with provisional protection. David has cooperated with IP Australia and the International Plant Breeders Rights body (UPOV) to develop the international protocols for registration of Industrial Hemp varieties. He is also involved in the ongoing updating of the Industrial Hemp regulations of Queensland by assisting Bio-security officers, in particular developing technical guidelines for registration of industrial hemp varieties for commercial production in Australia.
Jack Hall
Agronomist
Professional Qualifications
Bachelor of Applied Science (Agronomy), University of Queensland
Jack graduated from UQ Gatton in 2008 and is currently undertaking an external Research Masters degree with CQU. He has had experience working as an agronomist in agricultural/horticultural crops and the nursery environment during and after gaining his degree. His specialties are irrigation scheduling, crop nutrition and IPM (Integrated Pest Management).
Jack has conducted, assessed and analysed a number of research trials in a variety of crops including Industrial hemp, tomatoes and chicory.
His experience in water management includes water quality monitoring, installation and management of Remote Sensing devices, including telemetry, irrigation scheduling and soil moisture monitoring interpretations.
He has had experience in plant, pest and disease identification and monitoring for Integrated Pest Management in a range of crops. He has recently completed the first round of the hemp grain density trials and is currently developing AFI’s long term Hemp Research Programme in association with the Plant Breeder.
Jack’s grasp of the latest in crop monitoring and management technologies will be very beneficial to growers helping to maximize yields in a sustainable, environmentally friendly system.