AHR’s Sophia Thach selected for two prestigious leadership programs
Congratulations to AHR’s Sophia Thach on her selection for two respected leadership programs in 2026 - the Growing Leaders Program (through Hort Innovation project VG23009) for the Australian vegetable industry and the Crawford Fund Master Class in Agricultural Research Leadership and Management.
Growing Leaders Program
Sophia is taking part in this national initiative that builds leadership capability across Australia’s vegetable industry.
Supported by vegetable and onion levies, the program brings together a diverse mix of participants, from growers to supply chain professionals, to strengthen leadership across every part of the industry. Sophia joins the program as a supply chain representative.
Sophia recently returned from the first of three sessions, where participants explored key leadership themes such as effective communication, conflict resolution, change management, media engagement, and building high-performing teams. The program also offers mentoring, networking and industry engagement opportunities to help participants develop the skills needed to lead the horticulture sector into the future.
Crawford Fund Master Class
In addition to her Growing Leaders involvement, Sophia has been selected for the Crawford Fund Master Class in Agricultural Research Leadership and Management, to be held in Penang, Malaysia at the end of April. Her participation is supported by funding from RAID and the Crawford Fund.
Delivered in partnership with the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR), the intensive five-and-a-half-day program is designed to strengthen leadership in managing agricultural research and development systems that drive sustainable innovation and global impact. To date, the Crawford Fund has trained more than 14,000 professionals from over 55 countries, helping to build a strong, collaborative international network of agricultural leaders.
We look forward to seeing how Sophia’s leadership continues to contribute to the growth and innovation of Australia’s horticulture industry.
(Photo credit: Jill Briggs from Affectus)