ELDERS has appointed Brendan Rinaldi to run the operations of its Victorian and Riverina region.
Brendan brings 17 years of experience in the finance industry to his new role, most recently as an executive with ANZ, leading its corporate and institutional health business.
Before that he held a range of leadership roles in risk, agribusiness and commercial lending, and was previously state general manager for business banking in South Australia, Northern Territory and Western Australia.
And he’s hardly new to life on the land. He grew up on a mixed farming and irrigation property in the southern Riverina, which he currently co-owns.
Mr Rinaldi said he felt “passionately” about the farming sector and supporting rural communities.
“Elders has a strong brand, which I’ve grown up with and admired for many years,” he said.
“It’s evident there’s a good culture across the organisation and I’m grateful to now be a part of it to support and help grow Elders’ people and customers and strengthen our service.”
Elders network general manager Tom Russo said Mr Rinaldi was “a welcome appointment who will bring significant value to the role”.
“He is a well-regarded leader, with a passion for building and developing teams,” Mr Russo said.
“His strong advocacy for rural health and wellbeing, and community contribution, will serve him well in his new role to strengthen Elders throughout the Victoria and Riverina regions.”
Elders were able to convince chief executive and managing director Mark Allison to cancel his planned retirement in November.
The decision came after Elders undertook a domestic and international search to find a replacement.
“I was pleased to accept the board’s invitation to continue in my role and am energised by the prospect of building on the hard work we have already done at Elders during my tenure,” Mr Allison said.
In the last financial year Elders had a before-tax profit of $223.5 million – up 42 per cent on the previous year.
Its most recent half-year result showed earnings before interest and tax of almost $83 million – a 38 per cent fall compared to the same time last year.
