Michele Allan

Dr Michele Allan is a food industry and agribusiness specialist who has held senior executive and director positions in the food and education sector, and has an academic background in biomedical science, management and law.

Dr Allan is the current Chair of Apple and Pear Australia Limited, Wine Australia, Council of Rural Research and Development Corporations and Modern Manufacturing Initiative - Translation and Integration Streams. She was previously Chair of Meat and Livestock Australia. Her current board positions include Smart Sat CRC, Food Agility CRC Board, CSIRO, Dairy Food Safety Victoria and Nuffield Australia. She is also a member of the 2026 Spatial Industry Transformation and Growth Agenda Leadership Group.

Dr Allan has held non-executive director positions with the Grain and Legumes Nutrition Council (formally Go Grains Health & Nutrition), Patties Food Limited, the Dairy Research and Development Corporation (now part of Dairy Australia), Forest and Wood Products Australia, Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, Tasmanian Irrigation, Callaghan Innovation, RuralCo and Birchip Cropping Group.

In 2013, she was appointed by the Commonwealth Minister for Agriculture to chair the Wheat Industry Advisory Taskforce. In 2014, she was appointed by the Federal Government to lead the Tasmanian Fruit and Vegetable Taskforce. In 2016, she was appointed by the Federal Governance to the Expert Panel, Driving Innovation, Fairness and Excellence in Australian Higher Education.

Prior to commencing her board career, Dr Allan was Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Patties Foods Limited until 2008, and held executive roles with Amcor Limited, Tasmanian Bioinformatics Centre of Excellence, Bonlac Foods Limited, Kraft Foods and ICI Dulux.

Dr Allan has a Bachelor of Applied Science Major - Biomedical Science - Cytology from University of Technology Sydney, Master of Management (Technology) from the University of Melbourne, Doctor of Business Administration from Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and a Master of Commercial Law from Deakin University. She is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.