The Challenge
Melbourne Market Authority required a CEO capable of leading a high-value statutory authority with an asset base exceeding $579 million. The role required leadership across strategy, operations, governance, stakeholder engagement, culture and long-term commercial performance.
The successful candidate needed to navigate a highly regulated, multi-stakeholder environment while strengthening government and industry relationships. They also needed to drive strategic growth, innovation and operational excellence in a setting that directly supports Victorian growers, wholesalers, retailers and the broader food supply chain.
The leadership profile required a rare combination of commercial acumen, public sector governance capability, operational leadership and stakeholder credibility.
Our Solution
Galvin-Rowley Executive delivered a bespoke CEO search process in close partnership with the Melbourne Market Authority Board and Sub-Committee.
The process began with deep discovery and role definition. Galvin-Rowley Executive worked with the Board to clarify success measures across strategy, asset leadership, financial performance, governance, stakeholder engagement and culture. This ensured clarity before market engagement and helped translate a complex brief into a compelling market proposition.
A targeted search strategy was then developed, drawing on deep networks across agribusiness, infrastructure and complex operational environments. Galvin-Rowley Executive also applied cross-sector mapping to identify transferable leadership capability, with international reach through Agilium Worldwide where relevant.
The search focused on executives with large-scale operational leadership experience, exposure to government and regulatory environments, and a proven ability to manage complexity while driving performance and change.
Candidates were assessed through a structured, merit-based process that included longlist identification, candidate benchmarking, behavioural and capability interviews, and alignment against Melbourne Market Authority’s key result areas.
The Appointment
Galvin-Rowley Executive successfully supported the appointment of Rob Clayton as Chief Executive Officer.
Rob brought a highly relevant and differentiated leadership profile. His experience included serving as Managing Director of Nutrien Ag Solutions Australia, leading Australia’s largest agribusiness, and more recently as SVP Retail North America, overseeing significant sales and earnings performance.
His background included large-scale P&L leadership, operational excellence, stakeholder engagement, M&A and transformation, digital transformation and system integration at scale. His deep relationships across the agricultural sector and supply chain were strongly aligned to Melbourne Market Authority’s operating environment.
Rob’s leadership style also aligned with the Board’s requirements: disciplined, commercially astute, collaborative, stakeholder-oriented and focused on performance, safety and continuous improvement.
The Impact
The appointment positioned Melbourne Market Authority to strengthen its role as a strategic anchor in Victoria’s food supply chain.
Rob’s appointment supported the organisation’s ability to optimise its significant property and asset portfolio, enhance operational efficiency, build stronger government and industry partnerships, and drive long-term sustainable growth.
The engagement also provided Melbourne Market Authority with a robust and defensible selection process, access to a broad executive talent pool and a professional experience for both client and candidates.
