Research officer Sebastian Ie has a story to tell when it comes to his journey into the agricultural industry. A great addition to the team, Seb’s knowledge and understanding in finance and economics enhances the dynamic at BCG.
I grew up mostly in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs with my three sisters. I also spent a few years in the Netherlands. Originally studied finance and economics at university, but returned a few years later to get my masters in agricultural science.
Whilst studying for my undergraduate (finance and commerce) I interned at Macquarie, an investment bank, where I spent some time with the agricultural commodities trading desk. This was probably my first real exposure to the international world of agribusiness and gave me an appreciation for how challenging commodity markets can be for producers.
Between graduating and starting my masters I was a management consultant with Deloitte where I worked mostly with large government, higher education, and defence organisations. My role varied a lot day-to-day, depending on what kind of project I was working on. I did business process improvement, workshop delivery, and stakeholder engagement work, along with lots of research and writing!
I began work as a research officer at BCG at the end of 2015, and my partner Lynn and I moved to St. Arnaud as it is half way between our two jobs (she works in Maryborough). We’re lucky to have ended up in such a good place in such a practical location.
The community focus and the highly respected practical research generated, is what attracted me to BCG.
The drive to work can be long, but gives me an opportunity to see what is happening in the paddock and how things are looking as the season develops.
I am driven by an admiration of the challenging work that farmers undertake, a strong belief in the inherent value of agriculture, a desire to work for the benefit of the community, the love of the outdoors and working with my hands.
The greatest challenge faced by farmers is the sheer number of challenges faced. The scale of farming in the Wimmera and Mallee environment means farmers need to be good at managing a very complex and uncertain system. It is not just the fundamentals of farming, it is the variables of climate, grain marketing, labour management, succession, and the list goes on.
There is no way you can be an expert in everything, but growers are pushed to do more with less.
But, it is this tough working environment that over time has led to the resilient industry that is very capable of adapting to what the season throws at them. It’s this capacity that built the strong community spirit, the can-do attitude, engagement, and led to the formation of groups like BCG.
