We are proud to acknowledge our two recent graduate from the Melon Industry Leadership and Development Program. Thivanka Fernando from Rombola Family Farms graduated from the Moshie Lean Leaders Program and Ben Rackemann, QLD watermelon grower, graduated from the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation (ARLF) TRAIL program, a 7 day challenge-based program delivered in and around Canberra.
We issue our congratulations to both Thivanka and Ben.
Both graduates agreed that their respective courses would provide great benefit both to them personally and to the businesses they work in and would highly recommend them to others in the industry.
Thivanka gave Melons Australia some feedback about the Lean Leaders Course, maintaining that “Building strong relationships with customers will improve the business exponentially and through the techniques learnt in this course to do that I can see that it will further assist me to strengthen those relationships”. Similarly, the techniques taught to “improve team building will help in building strong high performing teams to increase productivity”
The next round of the Lean Leaders Course is starting in May (on-line) and applications close 14th May 2024 For more information click here.
Ben emphasised the importance of the networks that were built with other participants of the TRAIL program. He also noted that although participants came from many different industries and parts of the country the fundamentals of what they were all challenged with in their businesses and communities are very similar. He said that he would encourage anyone thinking of applying and participating in the program to do so, because “there were so many things to take out of it: the networking and the personal development to name a few. I think the lasting impacts will be with me and assist me in my journey for a long time to come”. For more information about the ARLF TRAIL program please go to https://rural-leaders.org.au/trail-emerging-leaders-program/
For more information about the Melon Leadership and Development program please contact Joanna Embry biosecurity@melonsaustralia.org.au
