Directors
Ben Grange, Chair
National Sales & Marketing Manager, Grange Growing Solutions, Ebenezer NSW
Ben has over twenty years’ experience in the industry and currently oversees the National Sales and Marketing for the family business, Grange Growing Solutions. He has been presented with multiple community and industry awards for outstanding service and spent six years as a Director of the Nursery & Garden Industry of NSW and ACT Board which has helped lay the foundations of professional corporate governance. He was appointed to the National Nursery & Garden Industry Australia Board in November 2017 and currently sits on the Governance Committee for the National Farm Management System.
Dr Davina Boyd, Director
Research Fellow, Murdoch University, Perth, Western Australia
Davina is an applied social researcher and development practitioner with broad experience working on development projects internationally and in Australia. Currently, her focus is on agricultural development projects in Cambodia, Laos and Bangladesh to improve the livelihoods of smallholder farming communities through sustainable intensification, small enterprise development and improved food security. She is committed to projects that have practical outcomes and thrives working cross-culturally and collaboratively, and is adept at managing complexity. She is active in her community, and chairs her local community garden.
Nick Hutchinson, Director
General Manager, Fernland, Yandina, Queensland
Nick has been working in horticulture since 1989, when he and his father ran Oakwood Flower Wholesalers in England. Nick and his father started out buying flowers from a local wholesaler, before importing flowers from the Channel Islands and then Kenya. Nick has held various roles across the globe including Winchester Growers, the Dutch Flower Group in Holland, one of the biggest flower companies in the world, Butters Group, Ceder Hill group and now as the General Manager for Fernland in Queensland. Nick is committed to building stronger relationships with the state associations and to improve shipping times and costs for those businesses importing products into the country. As a self-described horticultural all-rounder Nick has visited all corners of the globe from Holland to Kenya to Ecuador seeking or selling cut flowers and plants.
Simon Smith, Deputy Chair
Owner, The Plantsmith (Girraween Nursery), Howard Springs, Northern Territory
Simon was successfully reappointed to the Greenlife Industry Australia (GIA) Board of Directors for a one-year term at the 2022 November Annual General Meeting (AGM) after filling a casual vacancy earlier that year. Simon previously served on the Nursery and Garden Industry Australia (NGIA) board from 2012 to 2017, including a stint as Vice-President. Currently the President of NT Farmers, Simon has extensive industry experience and a keen interest in helping nurseries to grow their business with minimal impact on our unique Australian environment.
David Lilja, Director
Founder, DLK Advisory, Melbourne, Victoria
David Lilja was appointed to the Greenlife Industry Australia Board of Directors in 2023. David is an experienced financial and commercial professional, spending over 25 years supporting a variety of clients. He has worked with Boards in a diverse range of organisations and industries including large listed and unlisted companies, the SME market, government, not-for-profits and family groups. He holds a Bachelor of Business, a Master of Taxation, and an MBA, and is a member of the Institute of Public Accountants and the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
Lauren Chandler, Director
Company Director, Chandler's Nursery
Lauren Chandler was appointed to the Greenlife Industry Australia board of Directors in 2023. Lauren represents a voice for the retail sector, using her skills as a company director within her family business Chandlers Nursery, located in Tasmania. She has been a Director on the NGIT Board since 2016, and is passionate about the future of the greenlife industry.
Sonja’s desire to serve on the GIA board stems from a profound wish to give back to the industry. Her business, Cameron’s Nursery, leads by example with a strong commitment to industry best practices, holding all three levels of the accreditation programs: NIASA, EcoHort, and Biosecure HACCP. Her comprehensive understanding of the nursery levy has been acquired through active participation in the Strategic Investment Advisory Committee for Hort Innovation Australia since 2016. Ultimately, becoming a GIA Director represents a unique chance to amalgamate her expertise, passion and steadfast commitment to horticulture and sustainability while making a meaningful and lasting impact on the industry and the broader community.