Mark Irwin became the new CEO of Consolidated Pastoral Company on 1st August, replacing long-term CPC CEO Ken Warriner. However Ken will stay on as CPC Chairman, and still presumably owns a 10% stake in the company.
Consolidated Pastoral Company (CPC) is Australia’s second largest beef producing company, after the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo). In 1983 Kerry Packer purchased Ashburton Pastoral Company and with the acquisition of other cattle stations, Ashburton Pastoral morphed into CPC in 1992. UK-based investment companyTerra Firma bought CPC from the Packer family in April 2009, several years after the death of Kerry Packer (December 2005).
Ashburton Pastoral Company was jointly owned by Ken Warriner and the late Peter Baillieu and Tony Chisholm. Ashburton Pastoral Company owned three NT cattle stations – Newcastle Waters station (Elliott), Humbert River (Victoria River District) and Henbury (now RMWAH owned, near Alice Springs). Prior to that, Ken Warriner had worked for Hugh McLachlan on Kenmore Park (Alice Springs), for Tom Quilty on Springvale (East Kimberley, WA) and then as General Manager for Texas-based King Ranch, owner of Brunette Downs (NT), Mt House and Glenroy (West Kimberley, WA).
What Ken Warriner doesn’t know about cattle and the northern cattle industry, isn’t worth knowing. And he has always been a busy bloke. Roles have included Chairman of Consolidated Meat Group, GRM International (resource management), Chairman of Austrex (Australian Rural Exports Pty Ltd), Chairman of RTA (Road Trains of Australia) and Chairman of AFD (Australian Fuel Distributors). Plus President of the NTCA (Northern Territory Cattleman’s Association) and the ACA (Asian Cattleman’s Association), as well as serving on the NFF (National Farmers Federation) National Executive. Last year an old health issue resurfaced that took some beating off, however it appears Ken has only taken the foot off the pedal slightly.
Mark Irwin comes from a Darling Downs farming family and is a qualified lawyer with a background in business management, and has previously worked for Graincorp, BHP and Asciano.
Tags: Australian cattle stations, Australian Beef Industry, Pastoral companies, Rural properties for sale and ownership