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Meet the AWA Board Members

The Australian Wagyu Association Board is comprised of 10 Members as elected under the Constitution.

The Australian Wagyu Association Board unanimously supports publication of the AWA Wagyu BREEDPLAN, the largest genetic evaluation of Japanese Black and Red (Wagyu) cattle that is publicly available worldwide.

The AWA Board has a duty to review and continuously improve Wagyu BREEDPLAN for ongoing breed development.

The Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) within Wagyu BREEDPLAN and Profitability Indexes, updated monthly, are supported by AWA as representing the best scientific knowledge available at the time of publication.

AWA Board Directors are volunteers for a tenure of up to three years. Their role is to oversee AWA strategy and breed development.

AWA Board Members

President

Charles Perry

Senior Vice President

Laird Morgan

Junior Vice President

Robyn Elphick

Treasurer

Scott deBruin

Director

Gina Lincoln

Director

Dean Pollard

Director

Glen Wright

Director

Richard Puddicombe

Director

Adam Withers

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Charlie Perry

Charles Perry

President

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au or call please call 02 8880 7700

Charlie and his family are the operators of Trent Bridge Wagyu, specialising in Fullblood and F1 breeding programs since 2005. Before returning to the family farm, Charlie completed education in commerce and was a consultant for many years with Ernst & Young in Sydney. Charlie also took part in the 2017 Young Breed Leaders Workshop conducted by the Australian Registered Cattle Breeders Association.

List of committee responsibilities

President

Executive Committee: Chair

Member of all Board Sub-Committees

Laird Morgan

Laird Morgan

Senior Vice President

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au or call please call 02 8880 7700

Laird is the owner/operator of Lillyvale Feedlot and Arubial Wagyu. A fourth-generation beef farmer, he is a graduate of Marcus Oldham and will bring to the Board an understanding of Wagyu strengths in comparison to the beef industry.

List of Committee Responsibilities:

Senior Vice President

Genetic Improvement Committee: Chair

Audit and Finance Committee Member

 

Robyn Elphick

Robyn Elphick

Junior Vice President

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au

Robyn is a third-generation beef producer, running Sunnyside Wagyu alongside her partner and parents. Located in Northern NSW, Sunnyside runs a Fullblood herd selling seedstock as well as a F1 and F2 commercial herd. Robyn has off farm qualifications in law, business and mediation with skills in legal analysis, risk assessment, critical analysis, negotiations and business communications. Robyn is a passionate Wagyu producer and will look to add value to the board by promoting collaborative and constructive governance in the continued development and innovation of the Wagyu sector.

List of committee responsibilities

Junior Advice President

Corporate Affairs Committee:  Chair

Conference and Competitions Committee Member

 

Scott de Bruin

Scott deBruin

Treasurer

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au or call please call 02 8880 7700

Scott is the principal of Mayura Station and has served as President and Board member previously for the Association, in the era of the introduction of the Collaborative Genetic Research Project. Mayura Station is a vertically integrated business based in South Australia, and has been a successful entry in the Wagyu Branded Beef Competition each year since its inception.

List of Committee Responsibilities:

Treasurer

Audit and Finance Committee: Chair

Conference and Competitions Committee Member

Gina Lincoln

Gina Lincoln

Director

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au or call please call 02 8880 7700

Gina Lincoln is a well-respected consultant to the beef industry. Gina has extensive experience in feedlot management and Fullblood herds, having spent 12 years as general manager of Peechelba Beef Feedlot and seven years with Blackmore Wagyu overseeing the breeding, feeding and operations of the company.

List of committee responsibilities

Genetic Improvement and Conference and Competitions Committee Member

Dean Pollard

Dean Pollard

Director

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au or call please call 02 8880 7700

Dean Pollard is synonymous with Sahara Park Wagyu, breeding Fullblood genetics for the past five years and a member of the AWA since 2012. A keen advocate for BREEDPLAN, Dean is keen to improve the overall Wagyu genetics for the Australian industry.

List of committee responsibilities

Audit and Finance and Corporate Affairs Committee Member

Glen Wright

Glen Wright

Director

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au

Glen is a grazier, property developer and an investor. His life passion and is building Wright Pastoral to be a leading crossbred and Fullblood Wagyu enterprise. Glen is continuing to breed, background and produce quality, high-marbling Wagyu Beef for consumers across Australia and around the world. Under Geoff Willett’s mentorship, Glen began producing Wagyu in 2013 at Koreelah, on the NSW border and has since added additional properties around Ebor. The company runs 1,500 breeders and is continuing to expand with a goal to build their base to 3,000 breeding females.

List of committee responsibilities

Conference and Competitions Committee: Chair

Genetic Improvement Committee Member

Richard Puddicombe

Richard Puddicombe

Director

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au

Richard has been the Station Manager at Burindi, owned by Paraway Pastoral Co, since 2008. Richard was the driver behind introducing Wagyu bulls into the Paraway programme in 2012, using them over quality Angus heifers. Richard has significant experience running large scale commercial operations delivering a premium product and is committed to seeing the AWA support and promote the advancement of the Wagyu sector.

List of committee responsibilities

Corporate Affairs and Genetic Improvement Committee Member

Adam Withers

Director

For general board enquiries, please email board@wagyu.org.au

 

List of committee responsibilities

Audit and Finance and Corporate Affairs Committee Member

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Important Notice and Disclaimer

It is very important that you appreciate when viewing the AWA database that the information contained on the AWA database, including but not limited to pedigree, DNA information, Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and Index values, is based on data supplied by members and/or third parties.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information reported through AWA, AWA officers and employees assume no responsibility for its content, use or interpretation. AWA disclaims all liability (including without limitation, liability in negligence) for all expenses, losses, damages and costs you may incur as a result of the use by you of the data on this AWA database and the information supplied by ABRI and AGBU being inaccurate or incomplete in any way for any reason.

Regarding EBVs and Index values, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • EBVs are derived using Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN technology developed independently by the Animal Genetics and Breeding Unit (AGBU), using the information contained within the AWA database.
  • AGBU is a joint venture of NSW Department of Primary Industries and the University of New England, which receives funding for this purpose from Meat and Livestock Australia Limited.
  • AWA relies solely on advice provided by AGBU and ABRI in accepting Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN software.
  • EBVs published in Wagyu Single Step BREEDPLAN are estimates of genetic potential of individual animals and may not reflect the raw animal phenotype.
  • EBVs can only be directly compared to other EBVs calculated in the same monthly Wagyu Group BREEDPLAN analysis.

Regarding pedigree and DNA testing results submitted to the AWA, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • Pedigree and DNA data submitted and supplied to AWA may have errors in it which cannot be detected without further DNA testing.
  • Technology may have advanced since a particular test was undertaken so that previous inaccuracies which were not detectable are now able to be detected by current testing technology.
  • AWA estimates that less than 1% of the pedigree entries, ownership or breeding details in the AWA Herdbook may have errors or which may be misleading. For this reason, users ought to consider if they need to obtain independent testing of the relevant animal (if possible) to ensure that the data is accurate.

Regarding prefectural content, it is very important to appreciate, and you need to be aware that:

  • Prefectural content is based on the estimation of prefectural origin from Japanese breeding records of 201 foundation sires and 168 foundation dams.  As genotype-based parent verification is not used in Japan, and full Japanese registration certificates are not available for all foundation animals, exact prefectural composition for these sires and dams cannot be validated.
  • The calculation of prefectural content for Australian Herdbook animals relies on the accuracy of pedigree records and DNA samples provided by AWA members.
  • The reporting of prefectural content for animals within the AWA Herdbook relies on the calculation provided by ABRI.

If you consider that you do not understand or appreciate the nature and extent of the data provided on this website or the EBVs of a particular animal, then AWA strongly recommends that you seek independent expert advice.

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