Gillian Kirkup
(photo from SunRice Annual Report)
As an 18-year-old computer programmer at Ricegrowers’ Cooperative in Leeton, Gillian Kirkup received a valuable piece of advice. The only female in a team of 13, it was the tea lady who told her “always be yourself; don’t try to be one of the boys.”
As the first female Chairman of Murrumbidgee Irrigation and the only female Director on the SunRice and Rice Research Australia Pty Ltd Boards, it’s a piece of advice she still considers a “gem” to this day.
“Women bring skills to a Board, just like everybody else,” she says. “But there are definitely differences in communication styles between men and women. We speak and interact differently, which can cause some tension. But you have to stay true to yourself.”
Gillian’s career as a programmer and business analyst was put on hold when she and husband Barry moved out to the family farm at Leeton in 1996. Running the business side of the farm and with two young children meant her 60 -70 hour working weeks were no longer practical.
“I loved looking after the children, loved being on the farm and managing that business, but didn’t have a direction for myself. My own identity was very important.”
Gillian decided a longer-term goal would be to seek a Board position that allowed her to use her business skills, while providing some flexibility in her working arrangements.
She started by joining the Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia (RGA), assisting with the coordination of Conferences, playing an active role in her local Branch, eventually rising to become a member of the Central Executive. It gave her an opportunity to put something back into an industry that was pivotal to her family and wider community.
She credits the RGA with providing her with the skills and networks she needed to take the next step in seeking a Board role, but says all experience is useful.
“Everything I’ve done in my life, when I look back, has contributed to me being elected and being able to contribute as a Director.”
“Often the careers that you have before you join a Board are really valuable. And often women have different careers to men and it’s that perspective that makes a huge difference.”
Gillian considered that it was extremely important to gain professional training and skills to be a director and to seek out additional opportunities to increase her knowledge. “I made a conscious decision to train,” she says. “I took every opportunity offered to me, after all this is now my career.”
What started out as a need for flexible work arrangements has turned into an all-consuming seven days a week job for Gillian. Along with Murrumbidgee Irrigation and SunRice, she is also an elected Director of the Rice Marketing Board for the State of NSW.
“I love the interaction of the three Boards,” says Gillian. “Between them they represent the fabric of our community. And as a Director, if you have a good business, then 3,000 farmers have the possibility of a good business as well.”
And it’s these 3,000 farmers that are Gillian’s focus as Governments negotiate the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, which will most likely remove water from the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area.
There are major issues for irrigation companies to consider. “It’s going to be difficult in the short term. As water leaves in a closed irrigation system, efficiencies no longer hold and economies of scale are threatened.”
But Gillian believes the future can be bright.
“It’s a matter of surviving the short-term and redefining ourselves which could take 10 years. It’s a bright future; it’s just a future that we will have to think outside the square to make work profitably. Those farms that have chosen to keep their water and with a vision for how to do things better and smarter, will be the winners.
“The family farm is still the best business model, but it’s truly more of a business, it’s not a lifestyle anymore. Every person needs proper financial training in addition to understanding the science of farming.”
“The Basin Plan will, in my view, result in generational change and we must ensure the young men and women taking over farms are supported.”
When asked for her advice for young women interested in a Board career, Gillian points to conviction as being the most important driver.
“Being a Director is not an easy thing, you’ve got to realise it’s a really serious job, with serious consequences for getting it wrong. But don’t let that put you off.”
A good training ground, says Gillian is community groups and organisations. “Get involved. Never let an opportunity go by and allow yourself to have a go at something different.”
“In the end, you have to do what you do because you believe in it.”
This profile first appeared in the Spring edition of the NSW Department of Primary Industries' Rural Women's Network magazine, "The Country Web" exploring the theme "Women Crossing Boundaries." Read the whole magazine here.
