Respected agribusiness leader, John McKillop, will step down from his position as Land, Agribusiness, Water and Development (LAWD) Executive Chairman to commence a new role as Hancock Agriculture Chief Executive Officer, leaving behind a legacy that has proven instrumental to the early success of the LAWD business.

Mr McKillop, who was appointed to his new position last week, established LAWD as sole director in April 2020 before being joined by fellow directors Col Medway, Peter Sagar and Paul Callanan, and launching to market three months later.

Today, LAWD offers specialist transaction, advisory and valuation services to the agriculture and land development industries and has grown to proudly employ more than 35 professional staff across Australia, with plans in place for significant further expansion.

Mr McKillop said working with shareholders to establish LAWD had been one of the great privileges of his career.

“Right from the very start we focused on creating a company with a great culture where people wanted to work, and clients wanted to engage,” Mr McKillop said.

“LAWD’s success has exceeded our expectations, which reflects the hard working, professional team,

and the leadership of my fellow Directors.”

LAWD’s Board of Directors paid tribute to Mr McKillop, thanking him for his visionary leadership in establishing LAWD as a professional, specialised real estate advisory firm.

“On behalf of the Board, our shareholders and employees, we sincerely thank John for his unwavering commitment and dedication to navigating LAWD on its journey to date,” LAWD Senior Director, Col Medway, said.

“John’s appointment with Hancock Agriculture is credit to his strong executive leadership and experience in the agribusiness sector, as well as LAWD’s outstanding success in such a short amount of time.

“In less than 18 months, he has played a pivotal role in taking LAWD from a new entrant in this market to an organisation that is trusted and has a solid and enviable reputation for customer focus.

“He has been instrumental in establishing LAWD, specifically in the key areas of business structure, governance, and team culture.

“John’s hard work has set the pillars upon which LAWD has been built and the outstanding success and growth of the business to date is testament to his efforts.

“While we are sad to see John move on, it is a fantastic opportunity for him, and the LAWD Board and staff wish him every success.”

Mr McKillop will transition into his new role with Hancock Agriculture in a part-time capacity, before commencing full-time in February next year.

“I remain committed to my role and responsibilities with LAWD until the end of the year and look forward to continuing to watch LAWD grow and prosper into the future,” Mr McKillop said.