The Australian Dairy Leadership Alumni (ADLA) was established by Gardiner Foundation in 2014 to bring together the graduates of five executive leadership programs. It aimed to continue building their leadership capability and harness their intellectual capacity, energy and drive to improve the performance of the Australian dairy industry. Alumni are graduates of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, Nuffield Scholarship, Institute of Business Owners – Australian Owner Manager Program TM, Rabobank Executive Leadership Program and Horizon 2020 program.
This People Development initiative formed part of Gardiner Foundation’s commitment to invest in emerging leaders and industry practices. ADLA enabled the dairy industry to build on its investment in these graduates by providing a platform for higher order thinking that will benefit their local community and the industry.
Strategic importance to the industry
The dairy industry has consistently invested in developing its future leaders. Approximately 80-90 people from the industry have been involved in leadership programs over the past 20 years. The knowledge and experience that recipients have gained through their learning and in the period since graduation is significant. Many alumni hold leadership positions within industry, agriculture, politics or the community, while others are on a clear path to take on these roles.
Our involvement
Gardiner Foundation partnered with Dairy Australia and the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources to form the ADLA which ran an annual summit to bring alumni members together up until 2018.
The summit provided participants with a unique opportunity to meet as a group, be inspired, build networks and strengthen their entrepreneurial and leadership spirits. It incorporated a series of events, forums and activities and provided an opportunity for the next generation of leaders to connect with the trailblazers from both inside and outside of the agricultural industry.
