AHIC Directors

AHIC Secretariat & Directorate

The AHIC Directors and Trustees are volunteers who are committed to serving the Australian Horse Industry.

Mark has ridden horses all his life and grew up attending Kangaroo Ground Pony Club and is now a licensed racehorse trainer and hobby breeder.

Mark been working as an Equine Dental Technician since 1985 and is one of only 35 horse dentists that hold accreditation under the Equine Dental Associations Certificate IV in Work Practices for Equine Dental Technicians.   His profession has provided him with the opportunity to travel and work in different countries and with some of the most experienced horse dentists in the world.

Mark is a past President of the Equine Dental Association of Australia and the Victorian Horse Council.  Both of these roles have given him the opportunity to keep in touch with all sectors of the horse community from racehorses, performance horses, pleasure horses and service providers, all of whose opinions are important to the future of the Horse Industry.

During EI, Mark worked as a Horse Industry Liaison Officer with DPI Victoria at their Attwood premises.   He was also instrumental in organizing a meeting that brought together all sectors of the Victorian Horse Community in an endeavour to co-ordinate the relief effort for horse owners during the Victorian Bushfires in early 2008.

Mark has represented AHIC at various Government and Industry meetings and forums and brings to the table the all important aspect of the “small business and service” part of the horse industry.

Contact: markaburnell@optusnet.com.au

Joining the Board of the Australian Horse Industry Council brings together Linda’s lifelong passion and involvement with horses and successful career as a senior executive.

Linda is regarded as one of Australia’s leading Digital and Content Strategists.

Linda has had a diverse career in media and digital ranging from working as a radio producer, reporter, presenter and Content Director to being the Manager of triple j where she created triplejunearthed.com and reinvigorated triple j to develop it into a multi-faceted digital brand.

She then went on to manage the 170 strong Radio Multiplatform and Content Development Team – a multi-disciplinary team covering design, development and digital content making in over 50 locations across Australia. This included the establishment of ABC Open, an ambitious UGC project supporting regional communities to bring their stories to life across digital platforms.

Linda’s most recent position in the ABC was as Head of Audience Strategy and Digital and Service Design. Her team led the UX and UI across a range of ABC products including iView, ABC News, triple j and ABC Listen.

Her remit also included International Strategy, the ABC’s R+D area and the Great Ideas Grant – a $20 million content development project for the ABC.

Since leaving the ABC, Linda has launched her own consultancy business - focussing on digital strategy, creative leadership and how to build great teams. She is also a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Graduate of their internationally recognised Company Directors course. 

Linda has ridden all her life - beginning as a Pony Club kid at Toronto Pony Club in Lake Macquarie NSW and was a successful show and dressage competitor. She lives on her horse property in the Macdonald Valley in the Hawkesbury area of NSW.  The area is renowned for endurance riding (being the home of the 400km Shazada competition) and Linda, although new to the sport is a keen endurance competitor. 

Contact: lindahbracken@gmail.com

Scott is a C-suite executive and Board Director with extensive experience across health, Government and the not-for-profit sector. He is a qualified accountant and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Although not a horse owner himself, he has an incredible amount of experience in the human health sector which he can leverage and apply to the work we do in equine health.

It is great to have someone with Scott’s financial and commercial acumen on the Board.

Larry is a fifth generation Horseman and Cattleman. He and his family run an Australian Stock Horse Stud in the foothills of the Mt. Baw Baw ranges at Tanjil South standing two stallions and breeding and selling half a dozen horses a year. They also run the Karraba Park cattle operation of both stud and commercial Red Angus and composite cattle.

• Served 6 years as a director including 3 years as Senior Vice Chairman and one year as Chairman of the Board of the Australian Stock Horse Society.

• Honourary Life Member of the West Gippsland ASH Branch.

• Past National Youth Director of the ASHS.

• National Judging Assessor for the ASHS.

• Highly regarded judge of cattle and horses Nationally and Internationally.

• Past Chairman of the Trafalgar Equestrian Park incorporating Camp drafting, Pony Club, Adult Riding Club, Polocrosse Club and home ground of West Gippsland ASH and Rodeo Clubs.

• Larry has an Advanced Diploma of Business Management and Diploma of Agriculture.

• Qualified Trainer and assessor teaching Agriculture and Equine studies.

• 35 years managing Pastoral Companies and family businesses.

• Founding President of Willow Grove Pony Club and Willow Grove Trail Riding club.

• Starting fourth year on AHIC Board of Directors.

Larry has always had horses in his life and has been successful as a breeder, breaker and trainer, campdrafter, polocrosse player and show ring competitor winning at State, Royal and National levels.

Jamie has had 14 years’ experience as a Director on the Board of Southern Campdrafting Association. During this time he has served a number of terms as Vice President and Senior Vice President and one term as President in 2012/2013.

He has been a delegate to the National Campdraft Council of Australia for twelve years.

During the past 30 years he has held positions on a number of community groups and farmer representative bodies as well as a 15 year term as President of the Yarrawonga and District Agricultural Show Society.

His tenure within these organisations has given him good insight into the competitive and leisure aspects of the horse industry, especially in respect to animal welfare and the public perception of various horse related activities.

He has been an AHIC Board member for 6 years and is a current financial and competitive member of the Southern Campdrafting Association.

Contact: hareebapark@bigpond.com

Peter has been in the horse industry his entire life, involved in pony club, modern pentathlon (as a competitor and a coach), mountain racing, 3DE, polocrosse and is now working with stockhorses. He is a valuable addition to the Board with his wonderful experience across such diverse disciplines.

Kym has been in the horse industry for many years. In the past Kym has had the role of Secretary of the Victoria Horse Council and currently is the President of the Australian Pony Stud Book (Vic Branch) and sits on Australian pony Stud book (Federal).

Kym has a keen interest in the recreational horse industry and recognition of this group as a major player within the horse industry.

Jaime Wallace

Jaime is a Human Resources Consultant with a background in banking, tech and not-for-profits, and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. She competed through her childhood at pony club and later moved into breeding thoroughbreds. As a result of this, she now has 7 very lovely paddock ornaments who live a life of absolute luxury.

Jaime is looking forward to working with our members to drive better (and more practical) outcomes for the health and welfare of our equines.

Andrea resides in Melbourne, and has a broad base of executive, senior managerial and commercial experience across multiple disciplines within the corporate and Victorian NFP sector. Andrea has had 11yrs as a corporate, commercial and property lawyer in both the private sector and in-house.

Andrea has had Board experience as an executive and non-executive director in the private and State Government sectors, serving as President, Deputy Chair, Company Secretary and Chair of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee.

Andrea is a member of Australian Institute of Company Directors Governance Institute of Australia Law Institute of Victoria

Australian Horse Industry Council

P.O. Box 283, Narre Warren North, Victoria, 3804
P: 0478 351 112
E: secretary@horsecouncil.org.au