Five early to mid-career professionals opened a window on their work to showcase the diversity of grains industry careers on offer

A popular session at the 2025 GRDC Grains Research Updates in Perth was a panel session that showcased the diversity of careers in the grains industry.

Almost 100 final-year tertiary students registered to attend the GRDC Updates, which the Mt Burdett Foundation sponsored.

GRDC deputy chair and Kalannie, Western Australia, grain grower Bob Nixon said the ‘diversity in careers’ panel session had returned to the 2025 GRDC Updates because the first session, held in 2024, was highly rated.

“Everybody loves hearing stories from people in the grains industry,” Mr Nixon said. “Our people are our most valuable asset.”

He chaired the session with Richard Hudson, executive producer of the ABC’s WA Country Hour. Five panel members spoke about their careers before Mr Nixon called for questions or comments from others in the room.

GRDC deputy chair and Western Australian grain grower Bob Nixon. Photo: Nicole Baxter

Katherine Zulak

Dr Katherine Zulak, a research fellow at the Centre for Crop and Disease Management (CCDM), came to work in Australian agriculture via an interesting route.

After studying botany in Canada and completing a PhD in plant-specialised metabolism, she took up a postdoctoral position at the University of British Columbia. There, she explored the chemicals that conifer trees produce to defend themselves against insects.

At that time, her supervisor worked with a University of Western Australia researcher investigating oil biosynthesis in sandalwood. Soon after, she secured a visiting scientist visa to WA to study how sandalwood trees make oil.

“I was always interested in plants and their use in pharmaceuticals, scents and flavours and everything necessary for life,” she said.

Curtin University research fellow Dr Katherine Zulak. Photo: Nicole Baxter

After experiencing life in WA, she wanted to make the move permanent, so she started to look for research jobs in her field.

A CSIRO postdoctoral research fellowship followed, studying how barrel medics emit volatile chemicals into the air to defend themselves against aphid pests.

Three years later, she became a research fellow at Curtin University, working at CCDM. There, she studied how net blotch infects barley.

Her next move was to Albany, where she worked in the field with crop disease at the WA Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development.

Since returning to CCDM, she has worked on fungicide resistance and lectured agribusiness students studying at Curtin University.

“My research now is demand-driven and has a direct connection with growers,” she said.

“What I am developing – portable DNA sequencing to detect fungicide resistance – can be deployed in the field.”

Dr Zulak said she felt it was important to monitor crops for fungicide resistance to prolong the life of available fungicides.

“We are trying to improve our ability to detect pathogen resistance in the field as a part of integrated pest management.”

George Marangos-Gilks

George Marangos-Gilks aims to leverage hyperspectral satellite technology via his third startup, the UK-based agtech company Messium.

Messium chief executive officer George Marangos-Gilks. Photo: Nicole Baxter

During his talk, Mr Marangos-Gilks spoke about his startups, which ranged from media to trading platforms.

His first was Tab Media, co-founded while studying at the University of Cambridge. It transitioned a student print newspaper, The Tab, to an online platform. It later expanded to more than 80 universities across the UK and the US.

Mr Marangos-Gilks said Rupert Murdoch offered to buy the company, but his colleague rejected the offer. He said News Corp eventually took a stake in the company, which provided a valuable learning experience.

After selling it to another investor, Mr Marangos-Gilks co-founded Magic Carpet AI, an autonomous AI-powered trading platform. In 2021, blockchain.com acquired the company.

Now, as chief executive officer of Messium UK, he aims to leverage hyperspectral satellite technology to measure the nitrogen concentration within plants at high resolution.

By harnessing computer modelling and AI, the technology aims to monitor changes in crop biomass in real time and provide nitrogen recommendations for wheat within 48 hours, without sampling.

“In the past 10 years, lots of agtech companies have raised a lot of money, but they’ve struggled to deliver those returns,” he said. “If we can show hyperspectral satellites work with wheat and nitrogen, they should also work with wheat diseases and pests.”

Mr Marangos-Gilks said working for a startup company was great. “You always face new problems to solve with small, agile teams that grow quickly. It’s one of the best careers.”

Asked what Australia could do to foster innovative thinking, he said GRDC, the GRDC Grains Research Updates and the grower groups throughout Australia were unique worldwide.

He said funding over multiple seasons was essential for developing new technology.

“Last year, we invested AU$1.6 million in field sampling, completing laboratory tests and analysing data. We need to repeat all of that this year to reach a stage where we can deliver value. Without support, it would be challenging.”

Grace Moloney

Hailing from Maitland on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, Grace Moloney recently graduated with a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from the University of Adelaide.

In 2023, she earned an AgriFutures Horizon Scholarship sponsored by GRDC. It provided $5000 a year during the final two years of her degree, along with professional development, work placement and networking opportunities.

Recent agricultural science graduate Grace Moloney. Photo: Nicole Baxter

Her father, who owns farming machinery deployed on her uncle’s farm, told her there was no farm to return to if she wanted to be a farmer and that she would either have to marry a farmer or win the lottery: “I’m still waiting for both,” Ms Moloney said, laughing.

Initially, she studied nutrition and exercise science at university for a year before switching to agricultural science. “I realised that agriculture is more than just farming,” she said. “Switching to agricultural science was one of my best decisions.”

In 2023, she completed a communications and social internship with the Ag Institute of Australia (SA Division) and the Adelaide University Agricultural Students Association. There, she assembled a student compendium that linked students to primary industries, educators and the government. In creating the compendium, she learned about the Horizon Scholarship, applied for it, and succeeded.

A requirement of the Horizon Scholarship is completing a four-week work placement.

Rather than stay in Australia, Ms Moloney undertook a student exchange at the University of Northampton in the UK. Since returning, she has worked in Tasmania and WA. In late 2024, she assisted the Nixon family with harvest at Kalannie.

“Whenever I meet people, I explain that agriculture encompasses more than just farming,” she said. “In the future, I want to work in agricultural communication, perhaps connecting students with agriculture.”

She encouraged students who felt nervous about meeting new people to “fake it until they make it”, if they are anxious in networking situations.

“Networking is just about starting with a firm handshake and being curious enough to ask the other person a series of questions.”

Darcy McDonald

Great Northern Rural Services graduate agronomist Darcy McDonald. Photo: Nicole Baxter

Darcy McDonald grew up on a mixed farm near Coorow, 258 kilometres north of Perth, WA.

During school holidays, he helped on the farm. When he was older, he assisted his mother in her work as an agronomist, an experience that gave him an appreciation for the science behind farming.

“After completing an agribusiness degree at Curtin University, I applied for a graduate agronomy position with Great Northern Rural Services in Geraldton,” he said. “In my first year, I worked alongside other agronomists.”

While he said he did not offer much advice to growers in his first year, he provided another opinion to the agronomists he worked with. “It’s been an enjoyable first year,” he said. “I enjoy working for farmers.”

Agtech developments that helped enable quicker decisions regarding crop nitrogen needs would be “awesome”, but he said agronomists would still be needed.

“Even though automation is exciting, there will still be a role for the agronomist because many growers do not want to get involved with the technology,” he said. “They’re super happy to allow their agronomists to use the tech for the benefit of their farms.”

In his first year, assisting growers through stressful situations was an accepted part of the job. However, after a year, he better understands the growers he works with and feels he can anticipate their needs more effectively.

To move past those who challenged his ‘lack of experience’, he asked multiple questions to demonstrate his care for the growers, their crops and their businesses.

Kathryn Fleay

Hailing from a farm near York, WA, Kathryn Fleay is now the agronomy and operations manager at Living Farm, a private agricultural research and development company.

A degree in agribusiness at Curtin University with honours in 2008 ignited her interest in agricultural research.

Living Farm agronomy and operations manager Kathryn Fleay. Photo: Nicole Baxter

In 2009, she moved to Mingenew for three years to become a research agronomist with the Mingenew-Irwin Group. Two years as an agronomist with Nutrien Ag Solutions and four years as a farm manager near Morawa followed. From 2017 to 2021, she returned to Mingenew-Irwin Group as chief executive officer.

In 2021, she was awarded a Nuffield Scholarship with support from CSPB Fertilisers. With an international travel bursary, she explored ways to empower youth, especially those from non-agricultural backgrounds, to pursue agricultural careers.

She said adopting a national approach to tackle the agricultural skills shortage was important, especially in the agtech sector, where much innovation occurs.

“We need to come together as an agricultural industry to support that,” she said. “There’s a place for universities and training providers to facilitate placements, but also for students to seek work experience opportunities by approaching anybody within the sector.”

Ms Fleay has a diverse role incorporating project management, people management, logistics and agronomy within Living Farm, working with research agronomists and field technicians.

“There’s so many opportunities within our business. From operating machinery, communicating with farmers, managing trials and working with agribusiness clients. There’s an opportunity to try many aspects of field research, and if there’s an inkling that you’d like to try something in the business, there’s an opportunity for that,” she said. “Listening to staff and helping them to grow is rewarding.”

Opportunities in agriculture

Mr Nixon said WA produced more than 22 million tonnes of grain in 2024 after a late break and a dry finish. “The hard work from all involved in our sector to make this possible is incredible.”

Interaction with the audience led to talk about an advertising campaign similar to the defence jobs campaign. It was suggested to showcase the diversity of careers in agriculture.

Ms Fleay thought the idea had merit and added that agriculture had much to learn from defence and mining. “The approach just needs to be national.”

Dr Zulak said agriculture’s offerings were undersold: “If you are interested in everything from communications to science, data science or molecular biology, whatever it is, there’s a place for you.”

Mr Marangos-Gilks said that any campaign to raise awareness and attract individuals to the agricultural industry would be highly beneficial. “We’re always seeking talent interested in data science or more hands-on roles.”

Ms Moloney said she felt that promoting agriculture as an exciting sector came down to talking to others about what you do. “Some people will find it interesting. Some people shut off. But in that conversation, you may have changed someone’s career path.”

Mr McDonald said attracting individuals from outside the industry was valuable. “Many people lack an agricultural background but are experts in their fields because they do not possess any unconscious bias.”

He encouraged growers to try young entrants to the grains industry who might not have a background in farming.

Ms Fleay noted that moving to the country can be daunting for newcomers. However, her involvement in sporting clubs made her feel welcomed. “That positivity can benefit a young person’s career and encourage them to stay.”

In concluding the panel session, Mr Nixon told the university students they were the future of agriculture and encouraged them to meet one or two people they did not already know during the following networking drinks.

As a thank you, panel participants were given Fremantle Dockers socks, and Richard Hudson received a West Coast Eagles footy.

Bob Nixon, bobnixon11@gmail.com
Katherine Zulak, katherine.zulak@curtin.edu.au
George Marangos-Gilks, george@messium.co.uk
Grace Moloney, gimoloney@icloud.com
Darcy McDonald, darcy@greatnorthernrural.com.au
Kathryn Fleay, kathryn_fleay@hotmail.com