Australia
October 8, 2021
Richard Tyson and Zsolt Szilassy join the AGT team.
Richard Tyson will join the company as Chief Financial Officer and Zsolt Szilassy will take up a new role overseeing customer interactions.
Both appointees have extensive experience supporting agriculture through their previous positions.
Mr Tyson is a qualified chartered accountant who has specialised in commodity trading risk management (CTRM) system development, business processes and financial trading. He brings 20 years of agriculture industry experience to AGT, mainly in the broadacre and cropping sectors. He has most recently held finance, risk management and CTRM product owner roles with Archer Daniels Midland in the US, as well as GrainCorp and Elders here in Australia.
“Joining AGT provides a rare opportunity to work with an Australian-based industry leader,” he says.
“The company’s growth and strength is a real asset for local grain producers and I see my role as helping it add further value to our agriculture industry.”
Mr Szilassy also has a strong background in the grain sector, having joined Viterra in 2008 where he held multiple roles in supply chain analysis, logistics and customer relations assisting the business and its customers realise their opportunities through deregulation.
“I get great satisfaction out of working closely with growers to help them maximise their returns,” he says.
“My new role with AGT will focus on bringing the benefits of our genetics and crop development work to farmers, so they can use our innovations to increase the productivity and profitability of their land.”
Both new executives will be working to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of AGT as the business continues to expand.
AGT Chief Executive Officer Dr Haydn Kuchel says the new appointments reflect the steady growth of the business and its goal of delivering innovative crop varieties that support the success of farmers and rural communities.
“Expanding the team is essential for our ability to keep developing varieties that help advance Australia’s cropping sector,” he says.
“AGT started in 2002 as a small, specialised wheat breeder in South Australia and has grown into an industry leading specialist with four plant breeding centres covering all the major agro-economic regions of Australia.
“Our newer durum, barley, canola and lupin breeding programs are now delivering breakthrough varieties to the country’s growers.
“This success has been built on great people working together across many different roles and we are very pleased that Richard and Zsolt are adding their experience to AGT’s future.”
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