Kellie Todman is my fourth CBH woman interview this year. Each interview, I learn something new about the agricultural industry. I’m also left feeling inspired by such diverse women who are working in various roles in CBH and right across regional WA. From operations to management, corporate to coalface and city to country.
Kellie is the Manager of Government and Industry Relations at CBH. Her work includes management of regulatory approvals function, such as planning and development approvals, cultural heritage approvals and government relations and industry engagement. Kellie works at CBH’s head office in Perth and has been there for five years.
Kellie was the one interview I could relate to the most. This is because, she didn’t grow up on a farm, and yet she works in an industry that appears to be all about that.
Unlike Kellie, I did grow up in the country, but I was a ‘townie’. When I first started working for the RRR Network, I recall being asked several times, if I was a farmer, and when I said ‘no’ there were some startled and perplexing looks. Like, how possibly could a ‘townie’ represent or support the efforts of RRR women. My response had to be unrelenting as the CEO – I’m a regional woman, and our business is women, not farms.
For Kellie, when navigating that ‘where are you from?’ question when meeting with growers and stakeholders, she also found this difficult at times over the years. Kellie recognised that being from either the country or farming would assist her professional networking in the industry.
“Being able to offer a personal connection through a farming family or regional community was the ice breaker I knew that would help me”. But that’s not Kellie’s story and yet she works at CBH.
So, with trial and error, adapting her language, growing her knowledge of all things agriculture and its people, whilst adopting some humour, Kellie these days responds with “I grew up in the Perth Hills on a few acres, so almost a farm!” She finds that this gets a laugh with growers, and the conversation seamlessly moves on.
Prior to working at CBH, Kellie worked for the Town of Victoria Park as their Senior Communications Advisor. It was here that a good friend of hers suggested CBH, and how great their culture was. I asked Kellie, if she was at all concerned about first entering the agricultural industry with no lived experience to leverage.
Kellie recalled how daunting and complex the job (and industry) was when she first started.
“The amount of knowledge, the technical aspects, from grain quality and exporting, and the personal networks was huge. I think it would’ve taken me about eight months to fully wrap my head around the industry, and how CBH as an organisation operates and interacts with its stakeholders, but I got there”.
To keep herself on track, Kellie acknowledged her informal mentor – Suzanne Browne whom she worked with at the Town of Victoria Park.
“Suzanne also had young kids when she first started her career, so I have found her to be a great sounding board and motivator over the years”.
“Brianna Peake is also a role model as a senior female leader for me within CBH. I so value her support and friendship”.
Kellie does leave the city office occasionally and heads out to the country to help hone her craft. Last season, Kellie undertook the sampling course and then did a few shifts in Moora both as a sampler and an RPO. She stayed with the back packers, immersed herself in the country life, and had a great time.
“It was so rewarding to be part of the process…things just clicked. I would find myself saying, ah that’s why we do things that way!”
Before interviewing Kellie, I checked out her LinkedIn profile, and was impressed with one of her recent posts. Kellie shared that public speaking was something she wanted to improve on. So, when an opportunity came up to present at a CBH employee forum with about 200 in the room, and about the same online, including CBH’s senior leadership team in the front row, she jumped at the chance and apparently “nailed it”.
Kellie explained that at CBH they have annual performance reviews and typically goals are set for employees to work on. For Kellie, it was her public speaking that she identified as a personal development goal. The employee forum was like the cherry on top after a couple of years of commitment to the task. Kellie said that she has presented at several government and industry forums recently and learnt that with practice, preparation, and public speaking at every chance she could, including in front of her two girls in the lounge room, that she would improve, and 2024 is turning out to be Kellie’s year.
Next month, Kellie will complete her MBA and travel to Hawaii to meet with her family and celebrate. Kellie is a great example, of how the agricultural industry accommodates anyone and brings out their best!