Executive Officer

Danielle Auldist

Danielle is the Executive Officer of GippsDairy (on a full-time basis). This requires leadership and management experience as well as formal training. A career in agriculture was inevitable after a childhood at Dookie Agricultural College and the family dairy farm near Numurkah. After Ag Science at LaTrobe University, her Master’s research at the DPI Kyabram Research Institute included cow nutrition and physiology as well as fodder conservation. Monogastric research at the Victorian Institute of Animal Science, Werribee, forged into the areas of pig lactation physiology, and piglet nutrition. Her PhD studies at Massey University, New Zealand, were with the Dairy Science team at Ruakura and investigated the role of mammary stem cells in the persistency of lactation. A return to Australia met with a career change leading to her current role. She has undertaken postgraduate training in design, evaluation and delivery of projects as well as business management and corporate governance along with extensive “on the job” experience.

Danielle is married with three young sons and counts amongst her interests, camping, reading, cooking and participating in athletic boot camps! She also enjoys gardening and raising baby chickens.

One of Danielle's claims to fame was participating in the "Eureka Climb", the highest vertical race in the southern hemisphere. The aim is to raise money for disadvantaged young people at home and abroad. Danielle and her boot camp partner, Jodi, completed the climb in an amazing 22 minutes. Pretty impressive effort given that there were 88 floors to climb in a stairwell which was hot, stuffy and just a little bit airless!