Alexandra Gartmann appointed new Rural Bank Managing Director
Bendigo and Adelaide Bank (BEN) and Rural Bank today announced the appointment of Alexandra Gartmann as the Managing Director of Australia’s only Australian-owned and operated agribusiness bank, Rural Bank.
Rural Bank Chairman Ross Pinney said Ms Gartmann, a current Director of Rural Bank and a previous Director of Rural Finance Corporation, brings extensive agricultural knowledge and a career in industry leadership to Rural Bank.
"Alexandra is passionate about agricultural and rural communities and has made a valuable contribution to rural Australia in her current role as CEO of the Foundation for Rural & Regional Renewal (FRRR) as well as through her involvement with an array of agricultural board and advisory positions". Mr Pinney said.
"We are looking forward to Alexandra starting as Managing Director and utilising her diverse skill set and immense agricultural experience to drive Rural Bank forward and continue our mission to help the Australian agribusiness sector grow and succeed", he said.
Current Managing Director Paul Hutchinson will continue to the lead the bank until officially handing over to Ms Gartmann in late October.
About Alexandra Gartmann
Since 2011 Ms Gartmann has led the 50% growth of the Foundation for Rural and Regional Renewal (FRRR), an organisation focused on building the economic and social strength of rural Australia. Prior to FRRR, Ms Gartmann was CEO of the Birchip Cropping Group for ten years, a community agricultural organisation focused on improving the profitability of farm businesses and viability of rural communities.
Ms Gartmann is currently Chair of the CISRO Agriculture Flagship Advisory Council, a member of the Prime Minister's Community Business Partnership, the Victorian Agriculture Advisory Council, the Crawford Fund and the La Trobe University Bendigo Regional Advisory Board.
In 2005 Ms Gartmann was Equity Trustees' Not-For-Profit CEO of the Year for Significant Innovation and in 2008 she was a Telstra Business Women's Award Finalist.
Ms Gartmann has been a member of the National Rural Advisory Council, Victorian Floods Disaster Appeal Fund, a member of the Australian Landcare Council, the Federal Regional Women’s Advisory Council and the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee, reviewing the adequacy of telecommunications in rural and remote Australia.
Previous experience also includes work with the Murray Darling Basin Commission, Greening Australia and consulting work on an AusAID project in northwest China between 2002 and 2005.
About Rural Bank and Rural Finance
Rural Bank has been a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited since 2010 and is the only Australian-owned and operated dedicated agribusiness bank in the country. From 1 July 2014, Victorian agribusiness lender, Rural Finance joined Rural Bank as a division of Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Limited. As a specialist rural lender, Rural Finance has been fostering the sustainable economic growth of rural and regional Victoria for more than 65 years. Together, Rural Bank and Rural Finance are supporting farmers and farming communities by providing them with specialist financial tools, industry insights and investment into the future of the Australian agribusiness sector.
