Applications for the 2026 intake of Rabobank’s Business Management Programs – the Executive Development Program and the Farm Managers Program – are now open.
Designed for progressive farmers at a range of career stages, the two programs being offered – the Executive Development Program (EDP) for farm business owners or senior managers and the Farm Managers Program (FMP) for up-and-coming farmer leaders – aim to provide participants with the latest insights in business management, with a specific application to farm businesses.
Announcing the opening of applications for the 2026 programs, Rabobank group executive for Country Banking Australia, Marcel van Doremaele said more than 1500 primary producers from both sides of the Tasman had participated in the Business Management Programs over the past 27 years.
“The programs are extremely beneficial for primary producers as they allow them the opportunity to step away from the daily demands of their operations and focus on creating strategies that will keep their businesses strong and adaptable in the future,” he said.
“Both programs also give participants the chance to connect with other primary producers from various sectors in both countries. Often, the relationships formed during the programs last well beyond the course itself. Many past participants say that these lasting connections are one of the highlights of the program, and we support this by holding occasional alumni events for our Business Management Programs throughout Australia and New Zealand.”
Mr van Doremaele said Rabobank’s ongoing support for the Business Management Programs is designed to help farmers expand their operations and increase their resilience.
Mr van Doremaele said this year’s FMP program – for young and emerging farmers – will be run in Victoria’s Yarra Valley from June 14 to 19 this year.
“The FMP serves as a platform for farmers representing various agricultural sectors to share successful practices and insights related to their farming activities.” he said.
The program is designed to strengthen participants' leadership and operational capabilities, equipping them for future management positions. It features sessions on communication and influencing strategies, conflict resolution, sustainable farm business planning, financial management, and personnel management.
Mr van Doremaele said the Executive Development Program, which runs as two one-week long residential modules approximately a year apart, will be held at Macquarie University in Sydney, with the first module running from August 23 to 28 this year and the second scheduled for late July 2027.
“The EDP enables participants to develop advanced strategic planning abilities and commercial management expertise, which are key for fostering business growth,” he said.
“The program focuses on several important areas, such as developing and carrying out long-term strategies, using sound economic reasoning when setting goals and making decisions, and cultivating strong leadership abilities.
“During the interval between the first and second modules of the program, participants are required to develop a management project that identifies and evaluates opportunities for improvement within their respective farming operations.
“This part of the program allows participants to quickly put into practice what they've learned from the initial EDP module. Over time, these projects have generated outstanding ideas that have brought substantial benefits to many of our participants' farming operations.”
EDP alumni and winner of the 2025 Dr John Morris Business Development Prize – a prestigious trans-Tasman business prize awarded annually as part of the program – Caroline McGrath considers the course was pivotal in developing her career and taking her corporate governance and strategic business planning skills to the next level.
Ms McGrath, who is a general manager with Excel Farms, an agriculture company with a diverse range of properties located across Australia, said she applied what she learnt on the course to refreshing the company’s strategic plans.
“I was able to identify the need to bring in an outside facilitator to help the leadership team redo the company’s purpose and strategy and then I was able to roll out individual farm strategic plans and initiatives across the business – which enabled company strategic alignment – with all team members striving to reach the same business goals,” she said.
Ms McGrath, who is based in south-west Victoria, said the course provided a robust mix of topics from governance, succession planning, human resources and recruitment ‘do's and don'ts’, the importance of financial analysis and understanding risks in your business. “And it also highlighted the importance of investing in mental and physical wellbeing,” she said.
“One of the highlights of the EDP was the people, and sense of community that was formed over the two-year program – it is an exceptional mix of people from across Australia and New Zealand, from across all sorts of agriculture businesses.
“The relationships formed over the two years provides a really special network and a continued sounding board into the future, having learned the same things and gone through the same experience.”
Ms McGrath said she would absolutely recommend the course to the next generation taking on their family farm business. “And also, those people working in ‘corporate ag’ businesses, looking to take that next step in their career – into leadership and executive management roles,” she said.
With numbers on each course limited to maintain group dynamics, positions on the programs are set to be highly contested, with farmers selected to attend from a wide range of commodities and geographical regions across Australia and New Zealand.
Further information and applications can be found on the Rabobank website, or at Business Management Programs.
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About us:
Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is a part of the international Rabobank Group, the world’s leading specialist in food and agribusiness banking. Rabobank has more than 125 years’ experience providing customised banking and finance solutions to businesses involved in all aspects of food and agribusiness. Rabobank is structured as a cooperative and operates in 38 countries, servicing the needs of more than nine million clients worldwide through a network of more than 1000 offices and branches. Rabobank Australia & New Zealand Group is one of Australasia’s leading agricultural lenders and a significant provider of business and corporate banking and financial services to the region’s food and agribusiness sector. The bank has 87 branches throughout Australia and New Zealand.
