Adam Buckley succeeds Cathels after six years in the role
After almost six years, Rob Cathels of N&A Group has stepped down as chairman of The Horticultural Brand Management Australia (HBMA) board. He is succeeded by Adam Buckley (Newton Orchards), who the board said would bring deep industry knowledge and a clear vision for HBMA’s future.
HBMA general manager Elisa King thanked Cathels, who will remain on the board moving forward, and welcomed working alongside Buckley.
“HBMA’s strength lies in collaboration, transparency, and making data-backed decisions – principles that will continue to guide us as we deliver value for growers, retailers, and consumers,” King said.
The announcement comes after the board, King and key industry partners came together for a strategic planning workshop to set the direction for the next five years.
The session was facilitated by Allan Ryan from Hargraves Institute and focused on strengthening HBMA’s position as a leader in managing and growing premium brands across Australia.
The session started with King highlighting the strong performance of HBMA’s brands.
“Since HBMA took on the management of Kanzi apples, brand awareness amongst consumers has increased by 64 per cent,” she said. “This season has been our best yet selling 14 per cent more than this time last year, with data showing Kanzi is the biggest-selling IP apple in Australia season-to-date.”
King added that HBMA would continue to plant more KAnzi trees to meet growing demand.
“We were also thrilled to sell out the first QTee pear crop this year, and with orchards maturing, we anticipate volumes will triple in the upcoming season,” she said.
