Brett Stevenson
Managing Director
Brett Stevenson, who comes from a farming background (his family owned and managed grazing and cropping enterprises in the central west of NSW), gained a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of Newcastle in 1982 and went on to establish a successful career in agri-commerce.
In 1995, Brett, with his wife Jo, established AgRisk Management to provide a range of risk management services to Australian grain growers and wool producers.
In 1996, Brett and his team of expert analysts and advisers at AgRisk Management developed and established Market Check which has grown to become Australia’s most highly respected and widely used independent grain marketing program for grain farmers.
Since 1996, over 3,000 farmers have attended Market Check Seminars and over 1,000 have become members of Market Check.
In addition to his role as CEO of AgRisk Management and Market Check, Brett has served as: Chairman of the Sydney Futures Exchange’s Wool Futures Committee; a key member of the Securities Institute of Australia Futures Markets and Trading Training Task Force; a member of the Grain Trade Australia Compliance Committee; and a member of the ASX Water Derivatives Market Development Committee.
Prior to establishing AgRisk Management, Brett Stevenson was Manager - Group Risk for Wesfarmers Dalgety Ltd, responsible managing price risks for the company’s International Trading Division and Group Treasury. He also developed risk management services for Wesfarmers Dalgety’s wool division.
Brett has also worked as Associate Director, Futures for the Swiss Bank Corporation Australia (now UBS Australia), guiding general management of its Futures Broking division, and, before that as Australian Treasury Representative for Midland Bank (London, UK).
Adding real value
Brett Stevenson believes Australian commodity producers and buyers are ideally positioned to strengthen their positions and reap greater rewards in today’s deregulated markets.
“We might call cereals, pulses and oilseeds ‘commodities’, but in a way the term ‘commodities’, short changes their potential perceived value,” Brett says.
“Increasingly, cereal, pulse and oilseed buyers are looking for and, indeed demanding, more and more tightly specified product to meet their requirements. This provides top growers with some amazing opportunities to ‘work’ the market to their advantage, while at the same time also benefitting discriminating buyers by giving them access to what they need.
“Our in-depth knowledge of and access to both local and international markets, combined with our proven grain marketing processes and procedures, means we can help both sides of the trading table get maximum value and rewards from their transactions,” Brett says.
“Even under tough seasonal conditions, there are tremendous opportunities for Market Check to help clients achieve results which, under yesterday’s monopolistic environment, were not possible,” he says.
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Tom Basnett
General Manager
(Licensed analyst and advisor)
Tom Basnett has established himself as one of Australia’s foremost commodity marketing analysts and advisors.
Tom was born and grew up on the family sheep property near Gunning on the Southern Tablelands in NSW.
Following his graduation from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics in 2001, Tom gained his PS146 accreditation through AFMA, allowing him to provide financial product and derivatives advice under a Financial Services Licence.
He also gained GTA (previously NACMA) accreditation in Trade Rules, Dispute Resolution and Grain Standards. Tom is also completing a Masters of Agribusiness through the University of Queensland.
Before he joined AgRisk Management in March 2004, Tom worked for two years with Majuko Australia Pty Ltd based in Sydney where he assisted setting up the Australian office and was responsible for the company’s export execution into SE Asia.
In his role as General Manager, Tom takes responsibility for meeting grain buyers’ increasingly specific requirements for tightly specified cereals, pulses and oilseeds. He understands how important it is for grain buyers to not only be able to access particular grains but to do so with full confidence that the parcels they bid for will meet their special requirements for processing and milling quality.
To underpin that confidence, Tom and his Market Check colleagues work closely with Australia’s leading grain growers to help them gain maximum value from providing local and overseas millers and processors with accurately described, tightly defined products.
As a senior analyst and advisor, Tom provides hands-on counsel and advice to Market Check grower-members in south eastern and Central NSW. He is also responsible for trade execution and systems development.
“Quality buyers deserve access to quality growers and my role is to bring them together in a spirit of trust and mutual respect,” Tom says.
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Ben McClusky
Manager Agency Services
Ben has extensive experience in the Australian Grain Industry accumulating and marketing all types of grain and related products domestically and internationally.
Ben grew up in Hay in South West NSW and went on to study Agricultural Economics at the University of New England in Armidale, NSW. After graduating with a Bachelor Ag Economics majoring in Agribusiness, Ben began his career in the grain industry with Graincorp as a Country Grain Merchant based in Barellan, NSW.
Ben went on to join Riverina (Australia) Pty Ltd as a Grain Trader, first at their Yanco office and then at their Head Office in Brisbane where he looked after grain trading activities in central and northern NSW.
By 2006, Ben was promoted to Assistant Manager in the International Grain Department where he was in charge of coordinating the exports of all Australian grains into Japan and SE Asia for Mitsubishi Corporation and ultimately developed containerised wheat business into SW Asia and North Asia.
Prior to joining Market Check, Ben worked at Mars Food Australia as a Raw Materials Buyer.
Ben's role at Market Check is to expand the grain agency operations by drawing on his experience in accumulating, trading and marketing all types of grain domestically and internationally. Ben aims to gain more reliable returns in the long term for Market Check growers.
“Market Check is well positioned to become one of the fastest growing agents in Australia as we leverage our membership base of top tier growers as well as our knowledge of buyer requirements in both domestic and international markets,” Ben says.
Alex Campbell
Manager Grower Services
(Licensed analyst and advisor)
Alex Campbell joined AgRisk Management as its new Trade Support Assistant towards the end of 2009.
Working alongside Tom Basnett and other members of the Market Check team, Alex assists in placing and executing grain trades as well as ensuring Members and other clients are kept up to date on and fully informed about latest futures and physical commodity market movements.
Since completing his HSC in 2004, Alex has worked in hardware and nursery retailing and also in the hospitality industry.
Before embarking studies towards a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Sydney in 2006, Alex also spent a year working with the Australian Agricultural Company’s Rockhampton Downs Station in the Northern Territory where he assisted in the training of new staff, managed and maintained the station’s vast network of bores, and played a leading role in managing stock and stocking logistics and placements. He also studied for and gained his Certificate II Agriculture, specialising in beef production.
In his final year at university, Alex is majoring in Economics and Agricultural Economics which he considers essential platforms for his chosen career in agricultural commodities, agribusiness and financial management.
Alex has long held a strong belief in the importance of customer service and team work and is “ … committed to providing Market Check clients with support, as and when they need it, helping them to achieve their commodity marketing goals.”
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James Flower
Trade Support Assistant
James joined Agrisk as Trade Support Assistant in March 2011.
Brought up on a cattle property in the New England district of NSW, James has always had an interest in farming and agricultural markets.
James completed an Agricultural Economics degree at Sydney University where he majored in Finance and Agricultural Economics.
Prior to working at Market Check, James worked within the cotton industry for the trading firm ECOM Commodities. His role in ECOM was based around trade support and domestic logistical operations.
"Market Check is highly innovative in it's approach to grain marketing - the myPrice Offer Board is particularly innovative and useful to both growers and buyers alike. I am happy to be part of the Market Check team," James says.
Steve Powell
Economist
Steve Powell grew up in the central west of NSW, with a family background in the agricultural industry. He began a bachelor of Agricultural Economics in 2007 where he took a keen interest in agricultural trade and market price analysis. Steve has always been interested in global supply and demand of Agricultural commodities. As part of completion of his degree, he spent time working with a fellow graduate on a field study project of industrial rice production in South East Asia.
While completing his degree in 2010, Steve joined the Market Check Management team as a Price Support Assistant. He has since become the Editor of the Market Check publication, the Australian Grain Review. The Australian Grain Review is a pivotal platform to keep growers informed with market intelligence and analysis. Steve has written 20 issues of the Australian Grain Review and his opinion on the state of the market is highly respected amongst Market Check members.
“It is important for growers to have access to accurate market information. This ensures that they can make informed and timely decisions on how and when to market their grain” Steve says.
Andrew Retallick
Trade Support Assistant
Andrew joined AgRisk Management in September 2010, in preparation for one of Australia’s largest ever expected grain harvests. Andrew works in Trade Support, dedicated to ensuring growers receive the best advice in regard to their position and obligations.
Andrew completed his studies for a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics at the University of Sydney, where he majored in Agricultural Economics and Marketing. During this time he became engrossed with the impact of growing populations, food security and crop technologies.
Prior to starting at Market Check, Andrew spent several months working on a property in Walcha, NSW, where the focus of operations was on fat lambs and cattle. In particular Andrew learned about the importance of soil science, helping to ensure sustainable farming practices for years to come.
Prior to this, Andrew worked with a boutique financial advisory firm assisting clients with their portfolios and risk management strategies.
Andrew says, “The coming decades are proving to be a tumultuous period for the global agricultural industry and to be a part of one of the world’s fundamental industries will be both exciting and fascinating.”
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Diana du Preez
Marketing and Communications
Diana du Preez established a career in Advertising and Marketing after gaining a Bachelor of Journalism and Media Studies from Rhodes University in 1991.
Diana began her own marketing and design consultancy, DesignStreet Pty Ltd in 1996 and grew this business over subsequent years with blue chip clients such as Sony, 3M, Braun, Oral B, Pfizer and Bayer Animal Health. In addition to developing successful marketing campaigns for these clients, Diana gained valuable experience in running a small business as DesignStreet grew from a team of 3 to a team of 12.
In 2005 Diana sold DesignStreet so that she could focus on her growing family and since then has undertaken a variety of marketing consulting and business coaching projects for a range of clients.
Diana joined Market Check in June 2010 to assist with the development and implementation of marketing strategy during Market Check’s growth phase. Diana is involved in preparation for our seminars, as well as developing communication material for growers.
“It’s very rewarding working amongst such a lively and conscientious team and seeing Market Check enhance its service offering.”
Jo Stevenson
Financial Controller and Administration Manager
Jo Stevenson is co-owner of AgRisk Management with her husband, Brett, and takes special responsibility for all financial and administration functions within the business.
Before she and Brett met up and joined forces, Jo acquired a range of qualifications and gained significant experience in both the commercial sector and also in early childhood education; an area in which she did her early professional training (Diploma of Teaching at UTS).
She must have know something about the demands to be placed on her in the future, because while she worked on her teaching diploma, she also studied business administration.
Along the way, Jo Stevenson gained significant experience in commercial sales and marketing as well as commercial administration, both in Australia (from 1985 to 1990 with commercial office furniture and interior design company, Arthur Stutchbury) and in the UK (in 1987, with Facility Group). She also spent a year, in 1984, as a pre-school teacher.
Jo has managed the financial and office administration of AgRisk Management since its inception, in 1994.
Efficiency and security
“In our experience, making sure the financial and accounting systems and processes are in place and on track plays a major role in developing strong and effective relationships with our clients,” Jo says.
“We tend to run our accounts section a bit like the people who work backstage in a theatre: beavering away behind the scenes, making sure the business runs smoothly and enabling our stars to perform to their best for and on-behalf of our highly valued clients.
“Clients, too, seem to value our friendly efficiency and feel we provide an added level and layer of risk management and, therefore, security,” she says.
Julie Paine
Admin Support Manager
Julie Paine has a Bachelor of Business (Human Resource Management/Marketing) from Monash University in Melbourne.
She worked for the Australian Customs Service for 13 years, in commercial imports and exports, based in Melbourne and for two years at the Customs Office in Whyalla, South Australia.
In 1997 Julie and her husband moved to San Francisco for two years, where she undertook volunteer work at the local hospital, studied and gave birth to their first of two children.
Since moving to Sydney with her husband and family, Julie has combined working part time as AgRisk Management’s Administration Support Manager with raising her family and volunteering at her children’s school.
Julie has also been a partner in a finger lime farming operation at Wollongbar, on the NSW far north coast.
For AgRisk Management, Julie is involved in the management of client and market-related data, arranging and organising Market Check seminars and road shows, and assisting in account management.
“It’s all good fun, especially with such a great team and great clients to work with, “ Julie says.