Australian Wool Network appoints former chief operating officer as managing director and chief executive

Australian Wool Network has unveiled a leadership shuffle to kick off the new financial year, with Rick Maybury stepping up as managing director and chief executive after more than eight years with the business. Mr Maybury takes the reins from John Colley — a founding managing director and major shareholder of AWN — who has stepped into the chairman role. Former chair Brendon Lunney has been appointed deputy chair, while Ben Barlow will continue in his role as non-executive director. AWN announced the move to industry on July 1, with a statement on its website saying the leadership changes marked an “exciting next phase” to drive the company’s vision forward. Mr Maybury launched his career with AWN in 2017, leveraging his 15 years of experience in senior roles at Ruralco and is widely regarded as having been instrumental in the company’s recent growth. Mr Maybury said his vision for the future of AWN was to “harness technology to deliver smarter, more efficient services” for customers. “We’ll explore any areas where we can solve real problems and create greater value for our clients,” he said. “By embracing change, staying agile, and maintaining a clear focus on service excellence, AWN will continue to grow as a trusted, indispensable partner in agri-services.” Outgoing managing director, Mr Colley, said Mr Maybury was “best positioned” for the role and the future of AWN as it eyed further growth. “Rick Maybury has been with the business for more than eight years and following on from his senior roles at Ruralco, he is best positioned to take the company through its next phase of evolution,” Mr Colley said. “Rick has overseen the expansion of AWN into livestock and real estate, and he did that during incredibly challenging market conditions.” Mr Maybury said his proudest achievement while chief operating officer was shifting AWN into diversifying the company’s services from being “pigeon-holed” as only a wool broker. The largest hurdle Mr Maybury said he faced in his previous role was keeping the team motivated during “challenging” conditions. “Overcoming that period is something I’m extremely proud to have been part of,” he said. Founded in 1999, AWN expanded into WA in 2020, setting up shop and running its wool brokerage at the Western Wool Centre in Bibra Lake. The move was described as a natural progression for the business by then-managing director John Colley. Not just a wool broker, AWN also runs livestock sales, real estate, and wool buying operations in WA.