By Fiona Blick
LAST year, the Committee for Greater Shepparton (C4GS) and the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) held a forum, attracting over 130 attendees to showcase the incredible strength, variety and investment that is happening in our region.
A highlight was the announcement of two scholarships for young leaders under 35 from Greater Shepparton’s food and grocery sector to attend the Future Leaders Forum in Melbourne.
Kirby Sprunt, Noumi’s Customer Service and Distribution Manager, and Jenica Mendoza, SPC Process Specialist, were awarded these scholarships. The program was tailored for young leaders and experienced managers who wanted to build and strengthen the future of the supermarket retail industry within Australia, with sessions on leading with resilience, sustainability, consumer trends, and leveraging technology.
Kirby praised keynote speaker Amanda Stevens for her insights into consumer behaviour. “She had such in-depth knowledge of understanding and adapting consumer behaviour and how to leverage consumer insights to drive innovation and enhance brand loyalty,” Kirby said.
Jenica, Young Professional of the Year at the 2024 Greater Shepparton Business Excellence Awards, emphasised the importance of small conversations in building relationships. She valued mentoring sessions with executives from companies like Unilever and Chobani.
Greater Shepparton is the most important intersection in southeast Australia. With entire food and grocery manufacturing supply chains in a postcode, this region anchors Australia’s dairy processing and fruit processing and packing.
The local food and grocery sector (in the combined LGAs of Campaspe, Greater Shepparton and Moira) already generates more than $3.1B of food and grocery revenue, employs more than 4,000 locals and injects almost $340M in salaries and wages into local economies.
Kirby and Jenica thanked C4GS and the AFGC for providing the scholarship, which gave them the opportunity to connect with industry leaders and contribute valuable knowledge back to the region.
