Mr. Scott Hansen

Mr. Scott Hansen is the Director General of the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (DPI). Having joined DPI in 2014, he oversees DPI’s efforts aimed at driving economic growth through research and innovation to improve the resilience and productivity of the sector, while managing and reducing risks to industry and community confidence.

DPI delivers a broad range of initiatives across the state, including research and development to grow the agriculture, fisheries and forestry sectors, and regulation and administration of biosecurity, food safety, animal welfare and hunting in New South Wales. DPI also has a range of responsibilities to prepare for, respond to and assist in recovery from animal and plant biosecurity emergencies, natural disasters and other emergencies affecting the sector.

Before joining DPI, Mr. Scott Hansen held senior management positions in both the public and private sectors with a defined interest in the areas of agriculture, innovation and productivity. Immediately prior to joining DPI, he was Managing Director of Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), responsible for the overall operations of the business and a 170 million AUD industry‐funded budget for research and development and marketing.

Before being appointed Managing Director, Mr. Scott Hansen held an overseas post with MLA, working in Washington in 2009-2011, heading up Australia’s beef, lamb and goat marketing efforts in the USA, Canada and Mexico.

Mr. Scott Hansen has also served in leadership roles as the Executive Director of Sheepmeat Council of Australia, Executive Director of Victorian Farmers Federation Pastoral Group, as well as with the Victorian Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

He graduated with a rural science degree from the University of New England, with a postgraduate qualification in commerce from the University of Southern Queensland. He is also a graduate of the Advanced Management Programme at Oxford University.