In Episode 27 of Build ‘Em Up, we chat to Matt Linnegar, Chief Executive of the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.

He talks about the need to redefine the word ‘resilience’ for rural communities; to go beyond the meaning of ‘bouncing back’ to ‘bouncing forward’ that gives room to imagine their own future.

Matt is a Fellow of the Australian Rural Leadership Program and the first Fellow to lead the organisation. He was the Chief Executive Officer of the National Farmers’ Federation and has had roles with Murrumbidgee Irrigation, Ricegrowers’ Association of Australia and the then Australian Meat and Livestock Corporation (now MLA). He has also been on the board of the Telstra Foundation, Agribusiness Australia and The Leadership Network.

Matt has worked for 30 years in primary industries, advocacy and leadership and calls rural and regional Australia home.