Posted by on
05/07/2024
Shayne Sice has enjoyed a stellar career in events management, from Rugby World Cups to corporate functions catering for thousands.
And while this central Queenslander admits she “couldn’t get to the city fast enough” after a youth spent on her family’s Taroom grazing property, her career has now come full circle, working back in ag as Rabobank’s Client and Community Engagement Manager.
Today, farmers from across Australia - and the world - benefit from Shayne’s quiet expertise during Rabobank’s acclaimed Client Knowledge Tours.
From the Northern Territory Beef Tour to the US Cotton Tour – each tour is custom-designed to provide clients with unique access to some of the ag industry’s leading people, places, and learnings.
“Stepping onto another farmer’s property and having a full and transparent insight into how that business is run provides invaluable food for thought.”
“During our past tours we’ve been fortunate to visit iconic Australian properties such as Tipperary Station and Newcastle Waters in the North, as well as industry facilities such as T-Ports at Wallaroo in South Australia, and many of these are ‘bucket list’ experiences most farmers wouldn’t otherwise get to access.”
Aussie farmers Canada bound on Rabobank Client Knowledge Tour
This month Shayne will lead the bank’s highly anticipated Canadian Grains Tour, where 38 grain growers from across Australia will gain first-hand insights into the Canadian grain and oilseed industry supply chain.
“Canada is a key player in the global grain export market alongside Australia, and the beauty of being on the ground physically is that it dispels some of the myths and assumptions local growers may have.”
“This tour encompasses everything pre-paddock to port, visiting local grain growing properties as well as industry facilities along the way.”
Bookending the tour, participants will start the tour with a bang experiencing the iconic Calgary Stampede, and round out their time in Canada at Ag in Motion, one of the country’s largest farm expos.
Shayne’s is an enviable role – a seemingly dream job exploring the world’s leading agricultural regions - and one she delivers with aplomb. Yet it’s not without an enormous amount of work behind the scenes.
“With a hard deadline there is a fair amount of pressure during the build of the tour, and the work done in the lead-up is critical to the success of the tour itself, and the challenge of putting everything together is just as rewarding as the trips themselves, they’re like putting together a puzzle.”
“Our clients have invested their time and money into these tours, so it’s my job to make them as meaningful as possible, weaving in a balance of work and play through genuinely engaging experiences.”
Visiting Devils Marbles in the Northern Territory on a Rabo Client Knowledge Tour.
And whether it’s enjoying sundowners with beef producers before a fading Top End sunset, or making valuable introductions between grain growers and industry leaders at a national port, Shayne has perfected the art of calmness.
However, below the surface, she’s a duck paddling.
“I don’t think I ever fully relax during a tour, there’s inevitably something that keeps me on my toes – like a 7pm flight cancellation into New York on our US Cotton Tour, and having to work out where to sleep everyone, or a bus breakdown on the last farm visit of the day outside Adelaide River on our Northern Territory Beef tour – I’m the ‘tour mum’, and there’s a craft and skill in managing these situations.”
“Despite the unforeseen hiccups, at the end of the day, there’s nothing better than seeing a plan come to life.”
Curated experiences for knowledge and networks
Having completed a Bachelor of Business at the University of Queensland, Shayne’s career was built delivering large-scale events, yet she admits the opportunity to now work on Rabobank’s exclusive, highly detailed tours is far more satisfying personally.
“Everything I do now has the client at heart, I want to give them the best experience possible – these are projects with purpose, not just for entertainment.”
And it’s a purpose deeply ingrained in Rabobank’s culture.
“What I love about Rabobank is that it’s so much more than just a bank – we actively look for opportunities to support our clients, and our communities, to grow and strengthen, and these tours are part of that greater vision.”
“There’s nothing like bringing our farmers together and providing them with a platform to network and learn, all whilst providing an unforgettable experience – which is what Rabobank does so well.”
Shayne works closely with staff across the bank to bring tours to life.
The strength of the experience is exemplified by the fact that so many farmers have participated in multiple tours over the years – a fact that drives Shayne to continually set the bar higher.
“After each tour I’ll get calls from clients asking when the next trip will be, and suggesting locations, and we listen, as this is the feedback that largely sets our direction and itineraries.”
Shayne believes much of the tours’ success is thanks to the diverse mix of participants – and it’s no coincidence tour groups are comprised of a range of ages, experiences, and regions.
“We take a considered approach when putting these tours together, which applies to everything from the itinerary to our participants,” Shayne explains. “We include a balanced group to ensure all clients receive a full learning experience, and everyone is relaxed and comfortable.”
Reflecting these intentions, Shayne was thrilled to hear from a 23-year-old participant recently that one of his highlights was sitting with an 80-year-old on the tour, and the gems of knowledge he gained.
“Being on a bus really grounds everyone, and it’s a wonderful way to get to know each other, share knowledge, insights and of course, build friendships – many of the learnings come from the informal conversations amongst the group, as well as the on-farm and industry opportunities the tour affords.”
“At the end of the day, regardless of region, scale, age or experience, many of the challenges and opportunities are consistent, and being able to hear other people’s stories is extremely valuable.”
Back to her rural roots
While her sister’s family remain on a Charbray operation in the Taroom district, Sydney-based Shayne admits sadly she rarely gets a chance to visit her old hometown these days.
She is, however, enjoying reconnecting with her rural beginnings through Rabobank.
“This role really does align my two worlds, events and agriculture, and I feel very grateful to have such an opportunity,’ she smiles. “To live in Sydney and be on the phone to colleagues in Dalby, Esperance or Dubbo every day is a delight, and I believe, very grounding.”
The depth of experience the tours provide her personally is also not lost on her.
“The US Cotton Tour in 2019 was my first overseas tour, and it was such an adventure, as were last year’s Northern Territory Beef Tour and Top End Cotton Tour. Having never travelled into northern Australia, those tours provided once-in-a-lifetime career opportunities.”
“We’re also fortunate to have great staff on the ground, and locally based Senior Rural Manager Barry Gerschwitz was a wealth of knowledge helping organise and deliver our northern tours.”
Barry Gerschwitz and Shayne on tour in the Northern Territory.
The generosity and hospitality of the remote station owners, who welcomed the tour group for meals, and the chance to visit iconic properties and landscapes, was a standout, as were the global connections made hosting an inbound US Rabo Agrifinance group in March of last year.
And Shayne is equally as fascinated by the learning opportunities as clients.
“I’ve been a city slicker for a while now, and as I work across a range of commodities I find these tours so valuable, it’s a fun, interactive, and practical way to learn which I thoroughly enjoy.”
Shayne balances her work commitments with family, and together with husband Dave, has three children, Tilda, 12 and twins, Angus and Lewis, 11.
“I had three babies under 15 months, if I can cope with that, I can cope with anything!”