Keira McDonald named winner of highly regarded Angus Foundation Cadetship
The 2025 Achmea Farm Insurance and Angus Foundation Cadetship has been awarded to Keira McDonald from Halls Gap, Victoria.
This highly regarded opportunity provides a four-week placement with Achmea Farm Insurance, a leading specialist and direct agricultural insurer that supports thousands of farmers across Australia.
Ms McDonald is currently pursuing agribusiness at Marcus Oldham and has demonstrated a strong passion for agriculture and the beef sector.
Raised on her family's holiday park in the picturesque tourist town of Halls Gap, she was drawn to helping people and loved making customers happy.
Achmea Farm Insurance CEO, Emma Thomas, spoke about the alignment between the cadetship and the vision of Achmea Farm Insurance.
"We were impressed by the exceptional quality of applicants this year and wish to thank them for their interest in applying for this exciting cadetship with us," Ms Thomas said.
"We're inspired by the fresh perspectives the next generation brings and look forward to harnessing the ideas from Keira," she said.
"At the same time, we're committed to giving back to agricultural communities by sharing knowledge and providing the cadet with hands-on experience in both agriculture and financial services."
Ms McDonald shared her enthusiasm for the cadetship.
"With a growing passion for the agricultural industry, particularly the amazing people within it, I began studying agribusiness at Marcus Oldham and am now in my final year," she said.
"As I'm progressing into the early stages of my career, I aim to merge my desire to help people with a major focus on the agricultural communities.
"What will this look like? I'm not sure yet, however the opportunity to participate in the cadetship with Achmea Farm Insurance, I believe, is a perfect place to start".
Angus Australia extension manager, Nancy Crawshaw, also congratulated Ms McDonald on her placement.
"We're excited that Keira's skills, dedication, and passion for agriculture has made her the successful candidate for this program," she said.
During the cadetship, Ms McDonald will gain valuable experience at Achmea Farm Insurance, including: Visiting farms with Achmea's Farm Insurance specialists; Learning the foundations of insurance, including risk management and mitigation; and Supporting Achmea's purpose of keeping farmers farming.
The cadetship will conclude with Ms McDonald attending the Marcus Oldham Rural Leadership Program, a renowned program designed to cultivate leadership skills in the agricultural sector.
Congratulations to Keira on embarking on this exciting journey, showcasing the next generation of rural leaders dedicated to advancing the future of Australian agriculture.
The Achmea Farm Insurance and Angus Australia Cadetship builds upon a multi-year strategic alliance between Angus Australia and Achmea Farm Insurance, which has already supported more than 60 Angus Youth members through its flagship GenAngus Future Leaders Program.
