1. STEVE MORROW
4/2 Goodwin St
Kangaroo Point QLD 4169
PH (M) 0408 363 161
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Steve Morrow is an experienced company Director with twelve Non-Executive Directorships over the
past ten years, including eight as Chairman. This follows an extensive executive career in agribusiness,
including four CEO roles since 1985.
Steve has a collaborative approach and strong communication skills with all stakeholders and a clear
focus on setting and implementing shareholder strategy.
Steve has experience across a range of industries including agribusiness, banking, manufacturing and
food processing. He already has a track record of creating wealth for shareholders of both listed and
privately owned companies.
Steve presently sits on four company Boards, two as Chairman, and also represents the interests of a US
pension fund in Australia.
NON-EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR SUMMARY
2014 - current Chairman
Priestley’s Gourmet Holdings
2013- 2014 Chairman
Hydrasyst Pty Ltd
2012- 2015 Non- Executive Director
Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited
2010- Current Chairman
Buderim Ginger Ltd
2009- 2013 Chairman
Multitrode Pty Ltd
2009- Current Board Member
CEFN Pty Ltd
2008- 2013 Chairman
AgLink Ltd
2008- 2009 Chairman
Dingo Mini Diggers Pty Ltd
2007- 2009 Chairman
BioProspect Limited
2006- 2012 Non-Executive Director
Gardner Smith Group
2005- 2010 Chairman Brooklyn Park Olives Ltd
2. COMPANY SUMMARY
Priestley’s Gourmet Holdings 2014- current
Priestley’s is a privately owned company manufacturing cakes, muffins and other sweets
products for the food service sector with major customers including The Coffee Club, Gloria
Jeans and other food service outlets.
The company has facilities in Brisbane and New Zealand, employs 170 staff and has revenues
over $45m
Hydrasyst Pty Ltd 2013 - 2014
Hydrasyst is a privately owned company with patented technology in waste water recycling. The
company has 2 cornerstone products, Grey Box and Kerawash with applications in industrial laundries,
Green Star buildings and mining truck wash down sites.
The technology provides significant savings in water use and energy costs.
Hydrasyst also has the Australasian licence for the Hyflux range of ceramic filters and water treatment
solutions
Horticulture Innovation Australia Ltd 2012 - 2015
Horticulture Innovation Australia Limited provides R&D and marketing services to the Australian
horticultural industry.
HIA shareholders are levy paying horticulture growers across 43 different industries.
HIA is funded by industry levies and dollar for dollar commonwealth government matched funding.
HAL invests around $90m annually in R & D and marketing projects to enhance productivity and
efficiency in horticulture.
Buderim Ginger Ltd 2010 - Current
Iconic brand listed company involved in ginger processing and marketing and macadamia processing and
marketing. As Chairman for the last 4 years I have been responsible for a major restructure of the
business aimed at improving efficiency and profitability.
The company recently completed the acquisition of MacFarms in Hawaii – the largest macadamia
plantation in the world.
Revenue of $92 million based in Yandina Queensland.
Multitrode Pty Ltd 2009 - 2013
Private company manufacturing and selling patented waste water pump monitoring systems.
Revenue of $14 million based in Brisbane with sales offices in the US and UK.
Well positioned to grow sales as regional utilities upgrade their waste water plants to meet changing
environmental pressures.
Company successfully sold to Multinational company Xylem in March 2013
3. CEFN Pty Ltd 2009 - Current
CEFN is a private company controlled by the Jones family, based at Clifton in Southern Queensland. The
company is involved in intensive pig production, genetics and associated enterprises with revenues above
$50m.
We launched retail brand Pilton Valley Premium Pork in 2010 which is sold through butcher shops in SE
Queensland and has allowed diversification away from wholesale markets.
CEFN has 4500 sows and turns off 1700 pigs weekly with plans to grow and integrate.
AgLink Pty Ltd 2008 - 2013
AgLink is an umbrella group owned by 22 rural merchandise companies. The company provides buying
and other services to its members who collectively have $1.2 billion in revenue.
Independent members provide agricultural supply inputs to farmers across Australia. Members are
growing through organic growth and acquisition. Some individual members have revenues over $100m
Dingo Mini Diggers Ltd 2008 - 2009
The company manufactures stand-on mini diggers and a range of attachments in Dalby, Queensland.
Dingos have a range of applications for tradesmen, landscape contractors, farmers and as hire equipment.
The company has revenue of around $50 million and employees 150 people. The company is making a
transition from family ownership to a more corporate structure with 3 main shareholders and 4 minor
shareholders.
BioProspect Limited 2007 - 2009
BioProspect is an ASX listed company involved in the development of a number of biological products
the most notable being a termite control agent derived from a plant extract.
• The company is also developing animal feed additives which could compliment or replace presently
used products.
• The company raised $4.5million in additional capital in 2008 and expects to have one or more
products to market within the next 2 to 3 years.
Gardner Smith Group 2006 - 2012
Gardner Smith was a private Sydney based company involved in:
•Storage, transport and logistics for liquid products, mainly vegetable oils and fats.
• Canola processing and refining.
• Trade and energy services for the fuel and agribusiness industries.
4. • Recycling used vegetable oils and animal fats.
• Grain trading and exporting.
The Company had revenues of over $800 million with operations throughout Australia, New Zealand, and
in China and South Africa.
The company was sold to Graincorp at 7.6 times EBITDA in October 2012
Brooklyn Park Olives 2005 - 2010
Brooklyn Park Olive Groves is a managed investment scheme established in 1999. The scheme now has
220,000 olive trees over 500 hectares under management at Inglewood in Southern Queensland.The
company raised capital and built a processing plant at Inglewood.
Independent research group, PIR Investment Research, rated the Brooklyn Park Olive scheme as AA in a
March 2006 released report.
EMPLOYMENT SUMMARY
2004 – 2006 Chief Executive Officer
Golden Circle Limited
1998 – 2003 General Manager Agribusiness
Suncorp Metway Bank, Brisbane
1995 – 1998 Managing Director
Primac Holdings Ltd, Brisbane
1991 – 1995 Managing Director
ConAgra Wool Pty Ltd
1985 – 1991 Managing Director
ConAgra International Australia Pty Ltd
1984 – 1985 Director of Asian Marketing
Farmland World Trade, Kansas City, USA
1980 – 1984 Assistant Marketing Manager
Queensland Grain Growers Association, Toowoomba
Golden Circle Limited 2004 - 2006
Golden Circle was an unlisted public company owned by 700 fruit and vegetable growers. The company
is an Australian icon brand food and beverage manufacturer started in 1946 by pineapple growers.
In the year to December 31, 2004, the company lost $19.4million after tax on sales of $410m. The
company operates two main factories at Northgate in Brisbane and Mill Park in Melbourne (the Original
Juice Company) and employs 1700 people.
Golden Circle lost $31m in 2003 and came close to receivership.
5. Chief Executive -Golden Circle Limited 2004 - 2006
Appointed CEO in early 2004 as a change agent to turn around the financial performance of the company
and implement strategic change to ensure long term viability.
Major achievements included:
• Significantly improved company financial performance.
• Identified and addressed further balance sheet issues including asset values and obsolete inventory.
• Implemented controls over factory costs and operating expenses.
• Initiated external capital raising plan resulting in the issue of $50million convertible notes to Babcock
and Brown.
• Retained U.S. canned food specialists to assist building a restructure plan for the Northgate factory
aimed at saving $15.5m of costs with $20m of capital investment. The plan is progressing on target
and on time.
• Developed a strategic plan with senior executive and the Board forming the basis for the Information
Memorandum drafted for prospective investors in the $50m capital raising.
• Managed the banks expectations closely and gained their confidence to support the strategic plans.
• Built a strong, focussed executive team.
• Convinced shareholders to support changes in corporate structure to enable the external capital
raising, which will eventually lead to the loss of Cooperative status.
• Managed the media to achieve the most desirable corporate outcomes.
• Convinced major suppliers and customers to support the company's turnaround plans.
• Relaunched a new company brand and label for the first time in more than 25 years.
Suncorp Metway Bank 1998 - 2003
Suncorp Metway is Queensland’s largest company and Australia’s sixth largest bank. The company was
formed in 1996 through the merger of Suncorp (State Government Insurance office), Metway Bank
(publicly listed regional bank) and Queensland Investment and Development Corporation (State
Agricultural bank).
General Manager Agribusiness 1998 - 2003
Appointed as founding General Manager of the Agribusiness Division, employing some 140 people,
6. spread across 42 branches in Queensland, Victoria and NSW.
Major achievements included:
• Successfully marketed the banks finance products, growing the portfolio to over $2 billion and
enjoying over 27% share of the Queensland market. Portfolio grown 29% over 3 years.
• Initiated the development and implementation of two new seasonal finance products, which achieved
earnings of $750,000 PBT annually.
• Established an alliance with fertiliser Coop Pivot to expand rural lending into Victoria and Southern
NSW.
• Achieved return on equity in excess of 17% for the 2 years ended June 2002.
• Increased staff and customer satisfaction as measured by annual surveys.
• Appointed to both the Grain Industry Development Forum and the Qld Dairy Industry strategy group.
Managing Director – Primac Holdings Ltd, Brisbane 1995 to 1998
Primac was a publicly listed company providing services to rural producers. These included rural
merchandise, livestock marketing, wool broking, insurance, finance, real estate and travel.
The company had a market capitalisation of $42 million, employed 600 people and operated from 82
locations in the three eastern states of Australia. In the reporting period ended June 30, 1997, Primac
reported an after tax profit of $4.4 million on total sales as principal and agent of $482 million.
Major achievements included:
• Developed with the Board and senior management a three-year strategic plan aimed at achieving 15%
return on shareholders equity.
• Successfully negotiated a joint venture with Elders, which combined each company’s pastoral
operations in Queensland. 78 branch sites were subsequently rationalised into 52, which resulted in
savings in excess of the $4.2 million. Primac provided management and administrative services to
the joint venture. Despite significant staff and customer risk the joint venture is an unqualified
success.
• Led Primac through three takeover offers in three years, the first being two weeks after my
appointment.
• Restructured management and businesses to allow for meaningful measure of performance
throughout the company. Reduced management layers and allocated overhead costs as part of this
process.
• Achieved corporate overhead savings of $2.2 million annualised within 18 months.
• Successfully implemented a new direct merchandise-marketing format from warehouse direct to rural
producers in Northern Australia achieving sales in excess of $8 million and a return on investment in
excess of 15% within three years.
• Instigated a review of computer systems and gained Board approval to invest $5 million in new
systems.
• Acquired a number of businesses, which added to, and complemented existing merchandise sales and
7. profitability.
Roles prior to 1995
1991 – 1995 Managing Director, ConAgra Wool Ltd, Melbourne
1985 – 1991 Managing Director, ConAgra Grains, Sydney
1984 – 1985 Director Asian Marketing, Farmland Industries Kansas City USA
1980 - 1984 Assistant Marketing Manager, Queensland Graingrowers Association, Toowoomba
EDUCATION
Tertiary Bachelor of Agricultural Economics
University of New England, Armidale
Secondary Higher School Certificate, Armidale High School
Professional Development Leadership Course, Minneapolis USA
Member of Australian Institute of Company Directors
Regularly address industry groups
Member Queensland Grain Industry Development forum
Member Qld Dairy Industry Strategy Group