Stephen McCutcheon

Steve was elected to the Board of Hort Innovation in 2022.

He is currently a Governing Board Member of the Joint Accreditation System for Australia and New Zealand and is Chair of the Australian Government’s Nature Repair Committee.

He has extensive experience working with agriculture and food industries in private and public sector settings. This includes several years in rural lending with major banks and a 20‑year career with the now Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry working initially with a number of horticultural industries to implement economic reforms and later, in senior executive roles, leading the Australian Government’s role in national biosecurity and food safety policy and programs.

Steve served as Chief Executive Officer of Food Standards Australia New Zealand from 2007-2017 and was a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Plant Health Australia Limited from 2017 to 2023.  
Steve has a Bachelor of Economics degree from Sydney University and a Graduate Diploma in Public Law from the Australian National University. He is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Company Directors Course.