Meet our new staff

Gaining new team members is always an exciting time! This month Holstein Australia has welcomed two new additions to the office team.

It’s all hands on deck as staff prepare for Genomics Service Officer (GSO), Miranda Clark’s maternity leave and meet the growing demands of member services.

New GSO

Melbourne University student Ally Bird has been appointed as the new GSO. Ally has a Bachelor of Science, majoring in animal health and disease and is undertaking her Masters in Agricultural Science, expecting to complete her degree this June. As part of her Masters, she is undertaking a placement at AgriBio, working with cows and collaborating with the computational biology team that are working with an MRI fertility model which predicts the likelihood of animal’s conception.

Ally has also volunteered for 2 years at Edgards Mission Animal Sanctuary where she monitored and reported on farm animal health and behaviour. 

Ally joined the team on the 5^th of April, training with Miranda who will hand over her role mid-June.

She said she found the role through her placement and is excited about the position.

“I’m majoring in animal science and I’m specifically interested in dairy genetics,” Ally said.

GSO Miranda Clark said Ally will focus on the data processing of genomics and parentage.

“I have confidence that with Ally’s education and background, she’ll be a great asset to the team,” Miranda said.

New MSO

Amanda Moyses has been appointed the new Member Services Officer (MSO). After moving back to Melbourne from the Western Districts, Amanda started her full time position in mid-March, training with MSO Celia Evans and Member Services and Export Officer (MSEO) John Crowther. She has hit the ground running, assisting with registrations, transfers, data entry and providing member assistance.

Amanda has dairying experience across rotary and herringbone dairies and has assisted with herd testing for a 1,000-cow herd. She also has a background in both customer service and administration. She said she was once married to a dairy farmer and understands the community and the complexities of dairying.

“The dairy community is unique and the farmers are a delight to be around,” Amanda said.

MSEO, John Crowther said Amanda is a great addition to the team and he is looking forward to watching her grow.

“She’s a quick learner and has stepped into her role with ease,” John said.