Director Profiles

The board of directors consists of three grower elected directors and three nominated miller directors.

Board meetings are held bi-monthly on the second Tuesday.

Chris Hesp
GROWER APPOINTED DIRECTOR/CHAIRMAN
(Appointed 15th August 2025)

Chris was elected as chairman for another term on the 15th August 2025. He has been a sugarcane grower in the Invicta mill area for more than 30 years and is a qualified fitter and turner. He was raised on the family sugarcane farm in Gordonvale where his family still farms today. Chris is actively involved in the Clare community and was formerly Chairman of the Blackheath & Thornburgh College Board, a private school located in Charters Towers. He has been on the committee of the Clare school P & C Association and is a keen participant in allowing field trials to be conducted on his farm.

David Paine
GROWER APPOINTED DIRECTOR
(Appointed 15th August 2025 )

Dave is a third-generation cane grower who was born and raised on the family farm near Ayr. He is very passionate about the sugar industry and apart from working and managing the family farm for the past 40 years, he has also been employed in other areas of the industry including planting, harvesting & plant breeding with TFS Wilmar. Burdekin Productivity Services employed Dave as a Senior Field Officer for almost 15 years before he moved on to Kalamia Canegrowers Organisation as manager. Dave holds a Diploma of Agriculture.

 

Murray Cannavan
GROWER APPOINTED DIRECTOR
(Appointed 15th August 2025)

Murray is a fourth generation farmer in Home Hill. He has been farming sugar cane and grain crops for over 30 years. He is an electrician by trade and has plenty of experience with being on committees and boards. Murray was a former board member of Lower Burdekin Water and a past president of the Home Hill Golf Club. He is also a committee member, coach, volunteer and life member of the Burdekin Rugby Union Club. Murray has also been elected as the Inkerman Plot Manager for the last 4 years.

Peter Larsen (AD RT, BAgSc,PhD, GAICD)
MILLER APPOINTED DIRECTOR
(Appointed 4th July 2008)

Peter has been a director of various companies since 1998 and holds Bachelor of Agricultural Science, Associate Diploma in Rural Techniques, a PhD, is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). He has held various positions with CSR and Sucrogen, now Wilmar Sugar.

Bevan Chapman 
MILLER APPOINTED DIRECTOR
(Appointed 27nd August 2022)

Third generation family that was born and raised in the Burdekin.  Previously employed in the Car, Truck and Agricultural industries which included working in Townsville, Brisbane and Melbourne in various commercial roles before getting the opportunity to return back to Ayr, where he has been employed by Wilmar for the past 15 years as a Management Accountant.  Whilst at Wilmar, he has a management accounting responsibility for various areas of the business, including Farms, Cogen, Milling, Cane and Sugar Transport functions.