Kerry Bormann

12 November 2024 The Australian Plant Phenomics Network (APPN) is thrilled to announce the appointment of Kerry Bormann as Chief Operating Officer, marking a significant moment in the organisation’s continued expansion and commitment to supporting innovation within the agricultural industry. Ms Bormann was previously Business Manager at The Plant Accelerator®, APPN’s Adelaide Node at the University of Adelaide Waite Campus. “Kerry has a long history with the APPN team and brings a wealth of experience to this role,” said APPN CEO Mr Richard Dickmann. “Her leadership will be instrumental as APPN continues to expand its national research infrastructure which supports researchers, industry and farmers around Australia. Her management and analytical skills will be greatly valued. “Kerry’s promotion from within APPN also highlights our commitment to nurturing talent and fostering long-term careers within the network. “The APPN Advisory Board and I are delighted to have her join the leadership team at such an exciting time for our organisation.” Raised on a farm in South Australia’s upper Mid-North, Ms Bormann worked as an agronomist then moved into business development before joining The Plant Accelerator® in 2019. She said working at APPN combines her passion for agriculture with her ag science and business management skills in an organisation that helps deliver tangible benefits for farmers and the agriculture industry. As APPN COO she will help coordinate the network’s operations as it expands to include nine Nodes across mainland Australia – providing infrastructure for world-leading plant phenotyping infrastructure for researching crop improvement in controlled environment facilities, fixed field sites and remote locations across all major Australian cropping environments. Ms Bormann said she was excited to be taking up her pivotal new role at a time when APPN is rapidly expanding its ability to provide impactful, cutting-edge research infrastructure. “It is amazing to be part of such a strong and dedicated team that is busy deploying new infrastructure and supporting new research methods for agricultural innovation.”