The Australian Wine Research Institute

Mark Krstic

BAgSci (Hons), PhD, MBA
Managing Director, The Australian Wine Research Institute, Chair of The Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference Inc., Professional Member of the Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology, member of Hort Innovation’s Table Grape Strategic Investment Advisory Panel, member of the National Viticulture Biosecurity Committee, Associate Editor of Wine & Viticulture Journal, Committee Member of the Wine Innovation Cluster Leadership Group and the Waite Strategic Leadership Group, Honorary Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne. Graduate of the Australian Wine Industry Future Leaders Program. Mark has been instrumental in driving various initiatives in the Australian grape and wine research and development community over the last 8 years. Board member since 2020.

 

Corrina Wright

BCom, BAgSc (Oen)
Owner and winemaker for family business Oliver’s Taranga Vineyards in McLaren Vale, the sixth generation to farm the same land. Corrina also owns craft beer business Swell Brewing Co and a 40-acre vineyard in McLaren Vale. Corrina has sat on a number of industry boards (including Australian Women in Wine Awards, Winemakers’ Federation of Australia, McLaren Vale Grape, Wine & Tourism Association) and is active in the wine judging, writing and community spaces. She was awarded the 2019 ASVO Winemaker of the Year. Corrina is passionate about bringing cultural change and diversity to our wine community. Board member since 2021.

 

Trish Giannini

BEc, GradDipAcc, ICAA
Associate Director and CFO Advisor, Chapman Capital Partners. Trish is an experienced consultant, CFO and Chartered Accountant. She has more than 20 years’ experience in corporate finance, advisory, agriculture, technology and mining, with a background in a Big Four accounting firm. Trish is involved in advising clients across all sectors, capital raising, business consulting, CFO advisory and buy/sell transactions. Board member since 2020.

 

Trish Barry 

B Bus (Hons), GradCert Wine Mkt
An experienced communications professional with over 20 years of experience in the wine, tourism, hospitality, and financial service sectors. Trish is CEO and founder of Mastermind Consulting; a Wine Australia Future Leaders Alumni (2012); 2020 Wine Communicators of Australia Wine Communicator of the Year and Digital Communicator of the Year. Trish is actively involved in wine sector consulting to wine clients across Australia and New Zealand. She is a member of Wine Communicators of Australia, a Wine Australia Future Leaders Coach and an industry advisor to the Royal Agricultural Society NSW Sydney Wine Show. Board Member since November 2023.

 

Kiaran Kirk AM FAHMS (Chair)

BSc (Hons), PhD, DPhil
Dean of the College of Science at the Australian National University (ANU); Chair of the Board, Clonakilla Wines (est. 1971). Previous positions: Director, ANU Research School of Biology (2009-2014); Head, ANU Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1996-2009); Research Fellow, University of Oxford (1989-1996). Kiaran has published over 160 research papers in the field of biochemistry and has more than 25 years’ experience in the Australian research sector. Board member since 2017. Chair since 2023.

 

Carolyn MacDonald

BA (Journalism), GAICD
Chief Operating Officer at Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research (WEHI). Carolyn is an experienced senior executive with more than 15 years of leadership experience across the medical research, broadcasting, and digital media industries. Carolyn is a board director (alternate) at Melbourne Genomics Health Alliance and is a Chapter Committee Member of AAMRI VIC (Australian Association of Medical Research Institutes). Board Member since November 2023.

 

Brett McClen

BAgSci (Hons), MBA
Chief Viticulturist Brown Family Wine Group. Professional member of ASVO. Brett has more than 20 years of viticultural and management experience across a range of Australian wine regions, as well as experience working with other irrigated horticultural crops. He previously spent two terms as a Director of the ASVO and was a finalist in the 2019 ASVO Viticulturist of the Year award. Board member since 2021.

 

Sarah Courtney

BE (Chem) (Hons), BCom (Finance), MWineTech, GAICD
Owner Fish Hook Wines, a small vineyard in the Tamar Valley. Sarah has served as a Minister the Tasmanian Government, holding a number of senior portfolios including Primary Industries and Water, and was Minister for Health during COVID-19. Sarah has also been Shareholder Minister for several State-owned businesses, including Tasmanian Irrigation, TasTAFE and Tourism Tasmania, delivering significant reform, governance improvements and major infrastructure projects. Prior to that Sarah was based in Sydney and worked for almost a decade in the financial services industry across equity analysis, institutional sales and quantitative analysis. Board member since 2022.

 

Peter Szabo 

BAppSc (Viticulture), GradCert Viticulture
Peter is the General Manager of CCW Co-operative Limited, Australia’s largest grower-owned winegrape cooperative. He also serves as a Director of the Central Irrigation Trust. With more than 25 years of technical viticulture experience across Australia’s warm inland region and now a local industry leader. His career spans advisory roles, grower support, operational management and driving large-scale commercial outcomes for one of Australia’s most significant grape-supply organisations. Board member since 2026.

 

Wayne Ellis 

BAppMgt, Vehicle Mechanic
Wayne is a wine industry consultant working for Ellis Castle Consulting. He has over 25 years cross functional experience with medium to large FMCG companies. His previous roles have included responsibility for overseeing the supply chain and operations across Australia and New Zealand at Duxton Vineyards, Accolade Wines, Zilzie Wine and Treasury Wine Estates. Board member since 2026.