Proven results, straight from the paddock

Richard “Dick” Slaney is one of the most intuitive, culturally astute and commercially grounded agricultural leaders I have known.

His practical knowledge of dairy, beef cattle and agriculture, combined with his ability to build strategy, profitability and operational excellence in complex Southeast Asian markets, is second to none. Following the disruption to the live cattle trade in 2011, it was Dick who first conceived the idea for the Indonesia-Australia Red Meat and Cattle Partnership.

Dick rarely seeks recognition for his contribution, but his judgement, leadership and influence have helped shape agricultural businesses and the agricultural relationship between Australia and Indonesia for more than three decades. Those who seek Dick’s advice can be confident that it will be commercially grounded, sensible and practical. Advice that makes sense not only in theory, but in the real world.

Dick Slaney was the President Director of PT Elders Indonesia and reported directly to me from 2002 to 2008. He played a key role in spearheading implementation of an ambitious new supply chain strategy in-market across Indonesia. The programme benefited greatly from Dick’s deep experience in navigating the many regulatory, commercial and cultural issues, as well as his practical project management and systems knowledge in establishing a formidable beach-head across Indonesia.

Some stand-outs among Dick’s achievements across that time are:

• Professionalizing and systemizing the existing ad-hoc feedlot operation across numerous custom feed locations
• Identifying an opportunity and subsequently a deal to secure ownership of the Desa feedlot operation in Lampung
• Acquisition of the Bogor abattoir and elevating the processing capacity and standards to that of high-quality chilled beef production
• Successfully developing a branded, chilled beef supply program to the largest food distribution business in Indonesia

Dick’s experience and track record gives me great confidence in the value he can bring to any organization engaging him to direct, lead or advise change and development programs across meat, livestock and dairy supply chains both within Australia and abroad.

It has been my pleasure to know and work with Dick Slaney for nearly 20 years, through our shared interests in growing the Australian and Indonesian livestock and red meat industries. His knowledge, honesty, integrity and professionalism, combined with his down-to-earth manner and can-do attitude, made Dick for me a go-to person for advice, counsel and expertise.

Dick has made a significant contribution through his role as a Program Manager and Technical Advisor to Australian Government initiatives, including the flagship Red Meat and Cattle Partnership (RMCP) and the Australia–Indonesia Commercial Cattle Breeding program (IACCB). He has also led Elders’ Indonesian feedlot and meat processing business, as well as Greenfields commercial dairy farms in Indonesia. His ability to bring together technical expertise, practical industry experience, and strong relationships with government and industry stakeholders has been invaluable. The work Dick did in introducing stunning to Indonesia is a great example of how he was able to work across industry and government to achieve generational change to resolve a huge animal welfare challenge.

Dick is a highly respected beef and dairy cattle expert with deep knowledge and extensive experience across Indonesia and Southeast Asia. He is widely respected for his professionalism, integrity, leadership, and genuine commitment to improving livestock performance, health and welfare outcomes. His understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing the region’s livestock industries, markets, production systems, and operating environments is truly exceptional.

I would highly recommend Dick to any organisation seeking an experienced livestock specialist, program manager, or strategic adviser with strong regional expertise and an outstanding reputation.

I have known Dick Slaney for more than 30 years and am pleased to provide this personal reference.

I first met Dick in Indonesia when he was working in the meat production and distribution business in the early 1990’s. My close contact continued through the period when Dick managed PT Elders Indonesia, then as manager of the Indonesia/Australia Red Meat Partnership, and finally as the General Manager of PT Greenfields Dairies in East Java.

Dick has always been a great contributor to the cattle and meat business, with his most outstanding achievement being his work with the Indonesian Government and religious authorities to gain approval for the use of stunning as an approved halal procedure for the slaughter of Australian cattle in Indonesian abattoirs. This project was driven solely by Dick and literally led to the rapid reopening of the trade in live cattle after the Australian government closure in 2011. In addition, the fact that this approval for stunning was achieved some time before the closure of the trade led to the ability of the legal case against the Australian government to prove that exports could have continued, as the PT Elders Indonesia abattoir managed by Dick had the capacity to humanely slaughter cattle under full international animal welfare standards.

I was the veterinary consultant working under Dick during the 5-year Red Meat Cattle Partnership, which managed 3,000 Australian breeding cattle in multiple production systems across Indonesia for 5 years. This very complex project led to the in-country demonstration of the superior production capacity of Australian brahman breeders under a variety of local production systems, while maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare.

The Greenfields dairy in Malang is the largest in SE Asia, milking about 9,000 cows and supplying dairy products to both domestic and international markets. Dick guided the Greenfields farms through the Foot and Mouth and Lumpy Skin disease outbreaks commencing in 2022 while successfully maintaining disease freedom despite massive challenges.

All these successful roles could not have been possible without incredible management skills and dedication to the business, with total focus on the job where the project came first and personal needs a long second.

Dick’s independence and integrity have been proven over decades by his track record of successful outcomes for all his projects.

Dick is an excellent coach and develops herd managers that can succeed short term and long term. He puts the right people in the right seats to succeed.