Leadership

David Cornish

Program Director, Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program

David has over 30 years experience in Agriculture Finance including roles such as Agricultural Economist, Agribusiness Marketing Manager and senior banking roles in regional NSW and Victoria for the National Australia Bank. He was the initial CEO of Rabo Financial Advisors and spent five years as a Farm Consultant with Mike Stephens & Associates focusing on agricultural investment opportunities for wholesale investment funds.

David has worked at Landmark as the Regional Manager for Western Victoria and then as a strategy manager for the organisation. Since 2012 David has consulted to agricultural investment companies supporting their farm investment strategy in Australia. In his spare time, he is involved in a family farming operation based at Casterton in Western Victoria.  David is a full-time lecturer at Marcus Oldham, in Marketing and Business Communications.

James Freemantle

Director People Measures

James is a facilitator and coach specialising in leadership and communications. In 2008 he founded REDgum Communications to ‘create positive presence’ in leadership, working with clients in Australia, Asia, the UK and the US. In 2018 REDgum merged with People Measures.

James combines experience in media, teaching and performing arts to facilitate insightful, innovative development programs. He’s a coach in media, public speaking and leadership presence for CEOs and executives, and is well known for his work in personal and leadership brand.

As an associate and since joining People Measures, James has been involved in designing and/or delivering leadership development programs, including for the Australian Tax Office, Australian Public Service Commission, Department of Health and Human Services (Victoria), Australian Super and Parkville college. He is an experienced and qualified coach with significant experience in talent management, leadership development and 360-degree assessment.

James has experience across government, private (technology, healthcare, aviation, media & advertising, professional services, sports and financial services) and not-for-profit sectors.
An English, History and Education graduate, potency in communication has been at the core of James’s career. He spent several years as a producer, director and presenter on Australian TV, and moved to Moscow as a newsreader for international News channel RT (Russia Today).

James has written and directed four films including Bush to Belly – 7 indigenous kids, an Italian coffee machine and 500 bike riders in the Kimberley – screened on ABC International in 2017.

Kate Gorman

Lecturer in Human Resource Management

Kate Gorman started at Marcus Oldham in December 2019 as the College’s Lecturer in Human Resources. Kate grew up on a family operation running sheep and mixed cropping between Balranald and Hay in NSW, however after completing her formal education in Melbourne, has come to the College following a varied career in Human Resources and Executive leadership in the private and public sector, across a broad range of industries (Education, Government, Health, Construction, Airlines, Finance, etc) in Australia, Vietnam and the United Kingdom.

Masters qualified in Human Resource Management, Kate is delivering courses across Agribusiness, Agriculture and Equine in Management, Human Resources, Industrial Relations and People Risk.