The AGM of the Cotton Australia Board, held recently at the Cotton Collective in Toowoomba, elected two new Board members and reappointed a third while welcoming a new Chair and Deputy.

The two new Board members are Tony Geitz and Gavin Dal Broi, while Robert Dugdale was appointed for another term. Former Deputy Chair Liz Stott was elected Chair with Angus O’Brien elected Deputy Chair.

Tony Geitz and Gavin Dal Broi have a long and distinguished career in the Cotton Industry.

Tony Geitz

Tony Geitz is the new CEO of Northern Cotton, accepting the role after a long career with Louis Dreyfus Company (LDC).

Tony held various roles over 9 years with LDC including, Head of Cotton, Australia, Managing Director Australia and MD Australian Cotton.

Tony has been associated with the cotton industry for over 30 years, starting out in Agribusiness banking before joining Paul Reinhart AG as Managing Director in 2001. Eight years later Tony accepted a role as Head of China, based in Beijing overseeing both domestic trading and global imports.

Tony has held various industry roles including Chairman of the Australian Cotton Shippers Association while becoming a committee member of the Australian Cotton Industry Forum and the Committee for International Co-operation Between Cotton Associations. Tony is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors having completed the Company Directors Course in 2020.

Given his wealth of experience in senior management roles, Tony has gained substantial knowledge of international trading, international & domestic supply chains, commodity risk management, governance, structured/trade and finance, and advocacy.

“I am honoured to be part of the Cotton Australia Board as cotton has been an integral part of my professional life for decades. I am enormously interested in what our growers need to continue to grow the industry and prosper. Not only for the benefits of the industry but more broadly the economy as a whole.”

Gavin Dal Broi

Gavin Dal Broi joined his family’s Warrawidgee farming operation of 2000ha of irrigation and 1200ha of dry land cropping 25 years ago, attaining myBMP certification early in 2024.

Eight years ago Gavin and his wife Clare began their own farming contracting business that now employs 12 people dealing with all operations from new land development, cropping preparation, planting, irrigation and harvest, within in a 400km radius of Griffith.

In 2012, Gavin was one of 7 farmers who began Rivcott Gin which is now considered to be the largest cotton gin in yearly production in the world with the 2024 season equating to 418,000 bales ginned. Gavin has been Chair of the Rivcott board for the past 5 years.

In 2013-2025 Gavin was elected as the youngest director of Yenda Producers Co-op, a co-operative reseller based in the MIA which has subsidiary businesses in irrigation installation, grain handling, fuel delivery, livestock, real estate and water/insurance broking and employs 120 people. During this time Gavin completed the Australian Institute of Company Directors’ course and is proficient in corporate governance.

In 2016, Gavin and Anthony Rudd started I-AG Pty ltd which manages and maintains farming data for clients, expanding their customer base to cover 70,000ha of irrigated and dryland cropping ranging from permanent plantings, a mixed range of summer and winter crops. In addition, Gavin and four colleagues recently started a farm management business.

“I believe my experiences on Boards and in businesses, working with a mix of personalities, have given myself a deep understanding of HR management and board dynamics. I am pleased to have developed a deep understanding and knowledge of family farming businesses and the issues they face, and I look forward to serving the interests of all growers on the Cotton Australia Board.”