Farmer News
1 July, 2025
Strachan appointed general manager
SARAH Strachan has been appointed general manager (research development and adoption) for Meat and Livestock Australia.
As the general manager, Ms Strachan will oversee MLA’s $175.2 million investment in both on-farm and off-farm research and development projects, along with the adoption and extension services provided to the red meat supply chain.
Ms Strachan will work with federal and state governments, producer groups, research bodies and universities to enhance MLA’s partnerships in delivering high impact investments.
MLA managing director, Michael Crowley, congratulated Ms Strachan on her appointment and articulated her strengths in heading up MLA’s RDA team.
“Sarah comes into this role with deep industry knowledge, strong strategic leadership skills and proven track record,” Mr Crowley said.
“She has an incredible record delivering high value and impactful results for producers, backed by her immense passion for the sector.”
Mr Crowley said that her ability to translate complex research and development into practical, on-the-ground outcomes was instrumental in strengthening MLA’s impact across the red meat supply chain.
“Sarah will provide strategic direction and leadership to build awareness and adoption of MLA’s programs, an area she has already demonstrated significant success.
“Under Sarah’s guidance, MLA’s adoption initiatives have delivered measurable improvements in producer engagement and practice change.”
Ms Strachan began her career with MLA in 2001, initially working within the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) program.
MSA is the world’s leading eating quality program, developed by the Australian red meat industry to improve the eating quality consistency.
Under Ms Strachan’s leadership, the MSA program experienced consistent growth, expanded to include both beef and sheep meat, and introduced innovations that gave producers more accurate feedback on the quality of the meat they produce.
Ms Strachan led the implementation of the recommendations from the transformative Beef Language White paper, which modernised how beef is described in Australia.
The White Paper led to innovations that are helping the beef industry to better meet consumer expectations through advanced measurement and description of beef credentials.
Ms Strachan said she was excited to work with MLA’s dynamic research, development and adoption team to deliver exceptional industry outcomes.
“Our goal is to turn great research into real-world impact, and I’m excited to head that up as general manager of RDA,” Ms Strachan said.
“We want to invest in innovation that matters, supporting producers and the broader supply chain to adopt new practices, and ensuring the red meat sector remains competitive, sustainable and future-ready.”