DESPITE rumours of a possible leadership tilt in the lead up to last Wednesday's CBH director board meeting, chairman Neil Wandel will remain in the top job.
In the March 15 edition of Farm Weekly it was suggested Mr Wandel would more than likely face a bold leadership challenge from at least two other directors, including front-runner and deputy chairman Wally Newman, due to ongoing dissatisfaction with his performance as the co-operative's chairman.
But in a surprise turn of events Mr Wandel's former second, Mr Newman, failed to challenge for the chairman's position, instead deciding to stand down from his role as deputy chairman to take up one of two member-elected directorships for voting district four.
Farm Weekly understands Mr Wandel was challenged for the leadership position.
It was initially reported CBH directors Wally Newman, Newdegate, John Hassell, Pingelly, Vern Dempster, Northam and Mick McGinness, Merredin, would be Mr Wandel's serious challengers.
But in an interesting twist of events it was Mingenew farmer and district one director Clancy Michael who took up Mr Newman's position as deputy chairman of the board.
Mr Newman, who had been deputy chairman since May 2008 said he had chosen not to re-nominate for the position as, after four years, it was an appropriate time to provide the opportunity for another director to take on the deputy chairman role.
Mr Michael was elected to the CBH board in 2008, is a member of the board's Audit and Risk Management Committee and a graduate member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
He is also the current chairman of the Grower Group Alliance (GGA), an organisation set up to develop effective information channels between farmer groups and research organisations and has farmed in the MidWest with his family for more than 30 years.
Mr Wandel thanked Mr Newman for his support and valuable contribution to CBH in the role of deputy chairman.
"In particular, Wally has long been a champion of the co-operative business model and played a significant role in the board's decision last year to remain a co-operative with a modernised constitution that will enable us to return value to growers in the way they value most," Mr Wandel said.
"As a result of the decision to remain a co-operative CBH is now uniquely positioned to maintain its strong grower-focus in a very dynamic and competitive environment and I look forward to continuing to work with Wally, our new deputy chairman and the rest of the board to consolidate and build on this position."
