Board of Directors

Richard Jagger

Chair

Richard Jagger joined the AVS Board in 2021 and was appointed Chair on 26 June 2026. Richard is a member of the AVS Audit and Risk Management Committee and the Chair of the AVS subsidiary SmartSense Agtech that was incorporated in April 2024.

Richard has extensive experience in developing and commercialising new technologies in the agriculture sector. He is a Director of the Victorian Cleantech Cluster and is a Global Council Member of the World Agricultural Forum.

Richard was previously the CEO and Managing Director of Bio-Gene Technology, an ASX listed ag-tech company focused on developing a product platform based on a new class of naturally derived insecticides.

Prior to that, he was the Managing Director of Sinochem Australia, a division of the largest agrochemical company in China, and worked with Monsanto Company for over 20 years.

Richard has written two novels based on new technology adoption, holds degrees in Science and International Business and is a graduate and member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Jane Perrier

Director

Jane Perrier joined the AVS Board in July 2021, is Chair of the newly incorporated AVS subsidiary, SmartLures Australia Pty Ltd and is a member of the AVS Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Jane is an impact focused non-executive director, senior commercial lawyer and executive with over 30 years’ strategy, governance, risk, innovation and commercialisation experience in regulated sectors including ICT, agriculture and emergency services.

Jane has previously served as a non-executive director and company secretary of Crime Stoppers Victoria and is a former advisor to the Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police on the board of The Victoria Blue Ribbon Foundation. She is a current member of the IP Committee of the Law Council of Australia and a fellow of the Institute of Patent & Trade Mark Attorneys.

Jane is the former General Counsel, Intellectual Property and Special Counsel Technology, Innovation & IP at Telstra Limited where she led teams advising on innovation, technology, IP and data strategy, adoption, commercialisation and policy. She subsequently co-founded an IP strategy advisory start-up with then ASX listed company, Qantm Intellectual Property Limited. The start-up developed approaches to help organisations integrate intangibles into business strategy, governance and risk frameworks, and to generate and capture commercialisation value. The start-up was subsequently rolled into a consultancy arm of Davies Collison Cave Pty Ltd which Jane co-led for four years.

Dianne Angus

Director

Dianne Angus joined the AVS Board in November 2023.

Ms Angus has extensive non-executive director and senior executive roles across the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, agritech, medical device and healthcare industries. Her career is marked by a passion to build competitive and differentiated product portfolios, from investment in innovative research through to technology commercialisation and market adoption for novel products. She has created many global industry partnerships, managed joint ventures, undertaken numerous commercialisation transactions and financing to accelerate asset development to build company valuation.

Ms Angus has held directorship roles in ASX and NASDAQ-listed companies and is currently Non-Executive Director of Neuren Pharmaceuticals (ASX:NEU) serving as a member of the Audit and Risk and Remuneration committees. She is a Non-Executive Director of Cyclopharm Limited (ASX:CYC) and serves as a member of the Audit and Risk, Nominations and Remuneration committees. Dianne is also a member of the Deakin University Council and its Finance & Business Affairs Committee. She holds a Master of Biotechnology, Bachelor of Science (Hons), and a Graduate Diploma of Intellectual Property (IP) Law. She is a registered patent and trademark attorney and is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Geoff Harry

Director

Geoff Harry joined the AVS Board in November 2023 and prior to that was an independent member of the Audit & Risk Committee since January 2018. As a Board member, Geoff continues his role as Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee.

Geoff was a partner at PwC in Melbourne for 25 years, specialising in delivery of a broad range of risk and assurance services to a diverse group of clients in both the government and private sectors. He retired from that role in 2006. Since then he has held various senior executive positions including as Chief Risk & Assurance Officer at Fortescue Group and Jemena and as CFO at Goulburn Murray Water.

Geoff holds several Board and Audit & Risk Committee appointments, for most of which he is Chair. These roles include the Department of Government Services, Chisholm Institute, and several large local government authorities in Melbourne. Geoff has chaired the Audit & Risk Committees at the Department of Premier & Cabinet and at IBAC.

Geoff is a Chartered Accountant and Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Dr Roya Khalil

Director

Roya Khalil joined the Board of AVS in May 2026 and is a member of the AVS Audit and Risk Management Committee.

Dr Khalil is a senior R&D and innovation leader with over 20 years of executive experience across agribusiness, food, dairy, chemicals, packaging and advanced manufacturing. She is currently Director of Research and Development, Quality and Stewardship at Incitec Pivot Fertilisers, where she leads a multidisciplinary team developing technologies that advance productivity, sustainability and soil health for Australian agriculture. Her career spans senior roles at Bega Cheese, Coca-Cola Amatil/SPC Ardmona, IXOM, Orora Packaging and Plantic Technologies. Roya holds five granted patents in bioplastics, fertiliser inhibitor technologies and organo-mineral recycled nutrient technologies.

Dr Khalil is recognised for bridging science and industry, translating research into commercially viable, real-world solutions across the agri-food and manufacturing sectors. She maintains deep links to the research community as a Partner Investigator with the Smart Fertiliser Decisions Hub at the University of Melbourne, Industry collaborator with La Trobe University, Adelaide University, Industry Advisor to the ARC Research Hub for Nutrients in the Circular Economy, and Advisory Board Member of the Australian Graduate School of Engineering at UNSW. She is also a Global Council Member of the World Agricultural Forum.

John Harvey

Director

John Harvey joined the Board of AVS in May 2026.

John is an experienced agribusiness leader with a strong track record in driving innovation and growth across Australia’s agricultural sector. He is known for his strategic approach and ability to deliver practical outcomes for farmers, industry and research partners.

John has served as Managing Director of AgriFutures Australia and the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC), where he led investment in research, development and extension to improve productivity, sustainability and resilience across a range of industries.

He brings deep expertise in agricultural production systems and natural resource management, along with extensive experience working across industry, government and research to support the development and adoption of innovation in Australian agriculture

David Burns

Director

David Burns joined the Board of AVS in May 2026.

David is Executive Director, Agriculture Policy and Programs at Agriculture Victoria within the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action. In this role, he leads the design and delivery of policy and programs that support a productive, resilient and sustainable agriculture sector across Victoria.

David oversees a diverse portfolio spanning policy, program design and implementation, with a strong focus on responding to emerging challenges such as climate variability and industry transition. He works closely with government and industry partners to ensure initiatives are practical, targeted and deliver real outcomes for farmers and regional communities.

He is an experienced public sector leader, known for building effective teams and partnerships, and for driving policy and program delivery that connects strategic priorities with tangible impact across Victoria’s agriculture sector.