INNOVATIVE wool auctioneer Samantha Wan has taken out Elders’ Employee of the Year at the company’s annual awards night in Adelaide this week.
Ms Wan is Elders’ wool technical coordinator at the National Wool Selling Centre and is a regular wool auctioneer at the weekly Melbourne wool sales, as well as the occasional Sydney sales.
She played a key role in developing new and innovative ways to connect woolgrowers in remote locations with the live auction room, as well as several other offerings which have improved the company’s end-to-end service to growers.
Throughout 2018, Ms Wan represented Elders at a number of industry events, speaking of her experiences at the company the past six years.
This included being recognised with the One Elders Operational Performance Award earlier in the year for creating a platform for clients to be able to watch their wool being sold live on the auction room floor from anywhere.
Clients in remote locations are able to tune in and the Kangaroo Island branch now regularly hosts clients in branch to watch the sale.
Her innovative thinking has enabled woolgrowers to interact with wool buyers if reserves are not quite met.
Ms Wan was also a finalist in the NCWSBA Wool Broker of the Year award, in an all-female line-up.
Other winners at the awards night included:
Branch of the Year – Elders Katherine
Team of the Year – Elders West Zone Farm Supplies
Annual Operational Performance Award – Elders livestock manager Michael Carroll, Bunbury, WA
Annual Sales Performance Award – Elders district wool manager Tim McMeekin, Wagga Wagga, NSW
Annual Safety Award – Elders Adelaide senior agri finance manager Tony Harrison
Give It Award – Elders Biloela branch manager Randall Spann