AIFST 2026 Non Executive DirectorS
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AIFST 2026 Non Executive Director BiographiesAIFST Board Composition The AIFST Board is a skills-based board currently comprising 7 non-executive directors. Appointments are for a period of three years, with retiring Directors able to nominate for re-election and serve a maximum of two terms. Accordingly, there is a need for the recruitment of three Directors in 2026. Please see below for the three selected 2026 Applicant Biographies Mr. Stuart Clark Dr. Gregory Harper Michele van der Walt |
| Mr Stuart Clark I have been in the food industry for nearly 40 years and believe that lasting business results are built on strong relationships. I have had the privilege to lead teams in Product Development and Manufacturing Management, working around Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, for local and global businesses. I have been running my own consulting business for the past 7 years, I have a Bachelor of Applied Science in Food Technology from UWS (previously Hawkesbury Agricultural College), an Masters in Business Administration in Operations Management from Deakin Uni and recently graduated from the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD). In my career I have enjoyed the challenge of creating profitable, high quality new products from consumer insights. This required collaborative, cross functional team work, balancing different functional perspectives. I have been lucky to be part of many high performing teams, building strong working relationships to deliver results. Beyond the work, I am involved as a mentor for the StartUp Boot Camp, Raise Foundation, Mentoring Men, and the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology. I am married with two adult children, two dogs and live in Sydney. I am looking forward to working closely with the AIFST Board and Executive to deliver benefits for members, a strong , science based voice to Government, Regulators and Industry about the ever changing Agri-Food Industry. |
| Dr. Gregory Harper Gregory trained as a biochemist at UQ and Monash and through international post-doctoral fellowships before embarking on a career in research, system innovation and governance. In medical research and development, Gregory’s work contributed to the development and commercialisation of the “Naglazme” treatment for the pediatric genetic disease, Maroteaux-Lamy syndrome Wanting to contribute to the Australian agri-food sector, Gregory joined CSIRO in 1992 where he led research, and collaborated on product development, IP commercialisation and organisational direction. His cross-institutional research targeted the ethical optimisation of marbling fat in cattle and was supported within several Cooperative Research Centres. He accepted a secondment into Meat and Livestock Australia to manage a significant red meat R&D program and was subsequently elected by members to the MLA Board (2009-2015), where he contributed to decisions around organisational strategy, global marketing and industry system innovation. Between 2014 and 2017, Gregory was an Executive Director in the Victorian State government leading a portfolio of agriculture, food and sustainability science with a team of more than 300. From 2017 to 2025, Gregory was Business Development Director for agri-food related sciences at the University of Melbourne, helping translate research into impactful innovations. A highlight was founding NorVicFoods in the Hume, Victoria. Gregory now works as a strategy advisor through Crondar Pty Ltd. Gregory is a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology and an honorary Principal Fellow at the University of Melbourne. He was first elected to the AIFST Board in 2023 and was co-chair for 2025/6. |
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Michele van der Walt
Michele is a strategic food sector leader, who brings more than two decades of international experience across the food and ingredients industry to AIFST. She currently leads the Food Sector Initiative at the University of Melbourne within Research, Innovation and Commercialisation, and serves as Enterprise Fellow for the Food and Biopharma Platform in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology, where she focuses on building industry-engaged research and innovation partnerships. Michele’s executive career spans senior roles in general management, innovation, marketing, commercial operations, and strategic planning with globally recognised organisations including McCormick, Kerry Ingredients, and Givaudan. She served as Managing Director for McCormick in South Africa and, at Kerry Ingredients, led the UK & Ireland and Oceania businesses before taking responsibility for Strategic Planning and Commercial Excellence across the APMEA region. Most recently, as Head of Regional Innovation, APAC at Givaudan in Singapore, she led regional marketing, innovation, and functional ingredient strategy in collaboration with leading multinationals, regional companies, and high-growth start-ups. Michele holds a BSc in Biochemistry and Microbiology from Rhodes University (South Africa) and a BHSS in Applied Psychology for Professional Contexts from the University of South Africa. She has served as an executive, non-executive director, and Chair on boards across food manufacturing, education, and provident funds, and has successfully led multiple business acquisitions. Deeply passionate about creating impact through people, Michele champions collaborative, empowered, high-performing cultures as the foundation for sustainable, innovation-led business success in the food system. |
