Introducing our New Director of Training and Master Classes, Professor Shaun Coffey

June 28, 2017

We recently announced that Dr Colin Chartres is taking over the reins as our new CEO on the retirement of Dr Denis Blight. Colin was previously our Director of Training and Master Classes. We are pleased to now announce Colin’s replacement in the important role as our training director, Professor Shaun Coffey. Shaun has had a connection with the Fund for some time, having developed and managed with Colin our first Master Class in Research Management and Leadership.

An agricultural scientist by training, Shaun has wide experience in international research and commercialisation. His career has included appointments as Chief Executive of Industrial Research Ltd, a New Zealand Crown Research Institute; Foundation Chief of the CSIRO Division of Livestock Industries, and Director of Research and Extension in the Queensland Department of Primary Industries. He currently serves as a Director of TAFE Queensland, Director of the Australian Institute of Agriculture, Adjunct Professor in the School of Management in Victoria University of Wellington, and editor of the Journal of Agricultural Science.

Shaun is a recipient of the Silver Medal of the International Federation of Agricultural Journalists (2001), a Centenary Medal of Agriculture from the University of Melbourne (2006), and the Royal Society of New Zealand’s prestigious Thomson Medal (2010) for his leadership in the management and commercialisation. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, Companion of the Royal Society of New Zealand and Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Since 2013, Shaun has established his own global business advisory firm specializing in capacity building, leadership and strategic change in institutions and companies, especially those operating in science and technology markets. He brings this strong interest in developing people and systems to the Crawford Fund role.