Board and management

Chair

John Groppoli

·Principal of GlenForest Corporate, a boutique legal strategy and board and commercial governance advisory firm based in Perth. John is currently the Chairman of Hunt Architects and McDowall Affleck Deacon Engineers. John is also a non-executive director of ASX company, Stealth Global Holdings Ltd (and Chairman of its Remuneration and Nomination Committee).

·Partner of national law firm Deacons (now Norton Rose Fulbright) from 1987 to 2004 where he specialised in franchising, mergers and acquisitions and corporate governance. He was also the managing partner of the Perth office of Deacons from 1998 to 2002.

·Mr Groppoli was until June 2023 a director for almost 17 years at Senses Foundation, a leading NFP organisation providing support to deaf and deaf/blind patients.

·Non-Executive Director of Automotive Holdings Group Ltd (ASX:AHG) stepping down at the end of September 2019 after 13 years. During that time, John was also Chairman of their Remuneration and Nomination Committee.

·Qualifications/Memberships: B Juris, LLB and FAICD.

Director

Frank Romano

– Independent Director of Perth Markets Group Limited, Chair of the Master Planning Committee and Shareholder.

– 40 years’ experience in establishing, developing and managing food franchise businesses including Chicken Treat, Red Rooster and Oporto.

– Significant corporate transaction and expansion experience through multiple food company and franchise operations

– Owner of Olympic Fine Foods Pty Ltd, which specializes in snacks, nuts, cereal and confectionary under the Olympic and Stirling brands

– Investment portfolio includes sandalwood plantations and vineyards, as well as a number of commercial, retail and residential property and property development interests.

– Director of Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation (previously Princess Margaret Hospital Foundation) since August 2006.

Director

Miro Lendich

Current Chairman of United Crate Cooperative, a grower-owned cooperative and the largest supplier of plastic crates and bins to Market City.

Miro is also a grower based in the Swan Valley predominately growing table grapes, watermelons, honeydew melons and rock melons.

Director

Paul Neale

Director

Paul Neale

Currently Executive Director of Mercer Mooney, one of Australia’s largest fresh produce distributors, since 2010.

Formerly State Trading Manager (WA) fresh produce with Coles Supermarkets and National Sales and Marketing Manager (Mushrooms) for Chiquita Brands

Recently elected Vice President of Market West, The Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries in Western Australia.

Member of the Market West Management Committee since 2013.

Holds a Bachelor of Business (Marketing) from Curtin University.

Director

Patricia Skinner

Patricia’s thirty years’ experience in fresh produce wholesaling industry began with the Sumich Group in 1989. Her current role is with the Australian Produce Brokers, a leading fruit and vegetable wholesaler operating in the central trading area at Perth Markets for the past 20 years. Other positions include:

President of Market West formerly The Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries in Western Australia since 2011
Member of the Market West Management Committee and Director of FPAA Credit Service Pty Ltd since 2002
Director of Fresh Markets Australia since 2001

Industry representative on numerous industry committees including reviews of the Perth Market Act and the Bylaws and two government reviews of the Mandatory Horticultural Code of Conduct.

Director

Richard Thomas

Richard brings audit, risk, regulatory and financial expertise and experience to PMGL. He was a partner with Deloitte for over 12 years, including leading the Risk Advisory practice in Perth from its foundation in 2010 to 2018.

At PMGL, Richard is an independent, non-executive director who chairs the Audit, Finance & Risk Committee and the Corporate Transactions Sub-Committee.

Over his career, Richard has worked in a variety of roles – external auditor, corporate regulator, internal auditor, management consultant, forensic accountant, investigator and risk practitioner – serving many industries and organisations in both public and private sectors.

He achieved a first-class history degree at UCL and qualified as a chartered accountant with the ICAEW in 1988. Currently he is a member of CAANZ & IIA and holds various directorship and advisory roles at Brightwater Care Group, the City of Joondalup, Identitii, the Public Trustee of WA and The Whadjuk Foundation (Inc.).

Director

Andrew Young

DipCorpMgmt
BCom
BAgrSc (Hons)
FCPA
MAICD

Andrew has a history of employment at a senior management level with extensive experience in policy and strategy formulation, service development and industry representation. His experience in the fresh produce industry includes engaging with relevant stakeholders at a State and Federal level and addressing national issues through his roles with Brismark and Fresh Markets Australia.

He has had an active involvement in addressing issues impacting on the wholesaling sector of the horticultural industry and has conducted extensive research on Central Markets in Australia and parts of Asia, Europe and the USA. Andrew played a leading role as part of the project team responsible for what became the successful bid to purchase the Brisbane Markets site in 2002 and as Managing Director and CEO, coordinated the seamless transition of ownership of the Brisbane Markets site to BML.

He has maintained a focus on the upgrading and development of the Brisbane Markets site and the strategies contributing to the ongoing growth and success of the company. In addition to being the Managing Director and CEO of Brisbane Markets Limited, Andrew is also the CEO of Brismark (The Queensland Chamber of Fruit and Vegetable Industries Co-operative Limited) a member organisation which represents and serves the needs of the wholesaling sector of the fresh fruit and vegetable industry in Queensland and is also an executive director of Fresh Markets Australia.

Andrew holds a Bachelor of Commerce, a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with Honours, a Diploma of Corporate Management, is a Certified Chief Executive Officer, is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and is a Fellow Certified Practicing Accountant.

Meetings, Committees and membership

The PMGL Board meets once a month, with the exception of January and December.

There are three Board Committees: Audit, Finance and Risk; Nomination and Remuneration and Master Planning. These Committees have the following membership:

Audit, Finance and Risk Committee

Richard Thomas (Chair), Trish Skinner, Andrew Young & John Groppoli

Nomination and Remuneration Committee

Frank Romano, Trish Skinner, Andrew Young & John Groppoli

Master Planning Committee

Frank Romano (Chair), Andrew Young, Miro Lendich, Paul Neale & John Groppoli