Rob Clayton will lead next phase of global animal management growth.
Rob Clayton.
Gallagher has appointed Rob Clayton as chief executive of its global Animal Management business to lead the next stage of growth across key markets.
His appointment comes as Gallagher Animal Management builds on strong global momentum, including 47% growth over the past year. The business has also expanded its agritech capability, made acquisitions in Europe and South Africa, and established Gallagher in Brazil.
Clayton brings global agribusiness experience, practical farming background, and existing knowledge of Gallagher Animal Management solutions to help lead the business through this next phase.
He grew up on a wheat, sheep, and cattle farm near Coonamble in north-west New South Wales, Australia, where his family continues to farm today. He spent 25 years with Nutrien, a global agricultural inputs and services business, progressing into senior leadership roles in Australia and the United States.
Gallagher Group chief executive and executive director Kahl Betham said Clayton steps into the role at an important time for Gallagher as more farmers look to technology to help run their businesses with greater confidence.
“We’re seeing strong farmer demand for connected, data-driven solutions that make life easier and improve their productivity, labour efficiency, and animal performance. That creates a significant opportunity for Gallagher to grow its presence across global agritech markets.
“Rob’s appointment reflects our ambition to build on our momentum, strengthen our position, and keep customer partnerships at the centre of our growth. He brings international leadership experience and networks that will help drive market expansion, while staying focused on delivering real value for farmers.”
Clayton said New Zealand’s reputation for practical, farmer-led innovation gives Gallagher a strong platform for global growth.
“The New Zealand farmer has always been innovative and inquisitive, constantly looking for ways to improve,” he said. “Because of that, New Zealand is a hot spot for new technology. Solutions that are developed and proven here carry an already farmer-approved stamp when launched to the rest of the world.”
Clayton said successful agritech starts with real problems farmers are trying to solve, including how they make better use of one of their most valuable assets, their time.
“There is a lot of cool technology out there looking for a problem to solve,” Clayton said. “The technology that gets adopted quickly is technology that genuinely makes life easier, improves efficiency, saves time or helps farmers make better decisions.”
As chief executive, Clayton will join Gallagher’s Group executive leadership team when he starts in the role on June 8, 2026. He succeeds Dr Lisbeth Jacobs, who led Gallagher Animal Management for more than four years.
He will be based in Melbourne and will spend regular time in New Zealand and key global markets.
This is supplied content and not commissioned or paid for by NBR.
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