Tackling Challenges with Agribusiness Experts
As an accomplished leader in agribusiness banking, Laura Mattiazzi has dedicated her career to helping farming businesses thrive. As a regional general manager for Westpac Agribusiness—one of the four largest retail banks in Australia—she focuses on driving better outcomes for the bank's customers, finances, operations, and regulatory performance. After twice attending the Agribusiness Seminar at Harvard Business School (HBS) Executive Education, she explains what keeps her coming back.
How did you first hear about the program, and why did you decide to attend?
A colleague initially recommended the program to me. He regularly attends the Agribusiness Seminar and has pushed me to think more broadly about professional development opportunities, particularly offshore. I found HBS was the best place for me to gain the right experience to expand my skillset so I returned this year.
I wanted to return so I could build on my own professional development and learning journey. I am a firm believer that diversity of thought yields the most beneficial strategy for agricultural and food companies. HBS ensures this diversity in the cohort and provides participants with a platform to feel valued and heard. The networking opportunities with global peers also present an undeniable incentive to come back.
Which insights did you find most valuable?
There were so many insights that I gained from the classroom learning, discussion groups, and pre-program materials. For me, the most valuable insight was that industry participants across the global food chain are facing similar issues. These issues include combating climate change at the production level, mastering sustainability and traceability across supply chains, meeting chronic challenges in farm labor, seeking alternative solutions in technology, and navigating increasingly complex regulatory environments and global trade platforms.
What this means is that none of these risks and challenges is unique to us, regardless of where we are based geographically. This presents an opportunity for global food citizens to work collaboratively to tackle and solve these issues.
What challenges are you facing in your industry?
The challenges of the banking sector are well-documented however the nature of my role means my primary focus is to support the interests of our agribusiness customers. Australian farmers are among the world's most innovative and resilient, and they are stepping up to meet many challenges including climate change, market pricing, farm labor shortages, increased red tape and compliance, animal activism, trade tensions, and rising production costs.
Fortunately, Australia is perfectly positioned to play a leading role in driving more innovation to meet these challenges, and to capitalize on the market opportunities arising from a growing global population.
How would you describe the value of attending the program?
You can't put a price on the knowledge, insights, and network gained. The program itself is not a value-for-money proposition; for me, it is a value-for-growth proposition. The program–led by first-class academic minds–exposes attendees to world-class agricultural and food leaders across the value chain.
What advice would you offer to future participants to help them make the most of their time on campus?
Do your homework properly and reach out to your fellow discussion-group members prior to your arrival. This will help you to keep up with the fast-paced learning schedule and provide you with the confidence to actively participate in class. Also, bring your gym gear! HBS's vertically integrated indoor gym is a must visit.