Alison Larard

About Alison

An enthusiastic finance, economics and beef business specialist, Alison has a life-long interest in agriculture, particularly the cattle industry.  Raised on a mixed livestock and cropping farm near Warwick on the Darling Downs, Alison formalised her interest with a Bachelor of Agricultural Economics (UQ) and an MBA (UNE). 

With 25 years’ experience in business management, Alison estimates she has worked with over 350 farming families.  Predominantly NQ beef operations, many of these families have required business planning and management guidance, financial counselling, applications for finance, feasibility studies, project management, and succession planning advice. 

In 2016 Alison took on a board position for the RFCSNQ and in 2017, completed the AICD governance and leadership course sponsored by the Cattle Council of Australia. 

Awarded a 2018 Nuffield Scholarship, Alison undertook four months of international travel investigating ‘Better Business Management and Succession Planning in NQ Extensive Family Beef Businesses’.

In 2020, Alison’s passion to improve the northern beef industry led to the establishment of Advancing Beef Leaders (ABL), a leadership and professional development program.

In 2022 and 2023, Alison contributed to ACIAR’s Bisnis Blong Buluk research project in Vanuatu, working with small holders and their advisors to improve business skills, followed by a stint in 2024 as CEO with Southern Gulf NRM group.   

Alison returns to the RFCSNQ in November 2024 as a Rural Financial Counsellor in Far North Queensland.