Dr Ian Wesley is the definition of a jack of all trades. But rather than being a master of none, he is a master of all.
This year (February 2025), Ian celebrates 24 years with AEGIC. Ian’s tenure dates back to when our Sydney laboratories were known as BRI Australia (formerly the Bread Research Institute).
Ian’s title is Principal Research Scientist, but that doesn’t capture his many roles. He is also the Quality Manager for AEGIC’s Analytical Services, which includes maintaining the notoriously rigorous NATA accreditation, which AEGIC’s North Ryde labs have held for over 70 years.
Ian also manages Australia’s Wheat Laboratory Proficiency Program on behalf of Grains Australia. This program underpins Australia’s wheat classification system by helping make sure labs use agreed methodology when testing varieties for classification.
As Course Director for AEGIC’s eLearning platform for flour millers, Ian is responsible for the production and coordination of all the learning modules, and now manages the ongoing administration of the program. This program is already helping Indonesian milling companies upskill their staff, and will soon be translated into Mandarin for Chinese millers.
If that is not enough – Ian is also the safety leader for AEGIC’s Sydney labs, managing AEGIC’s various safety and incident reporting systems to ensure a safe workplace for all staff, as well as the many visitors and delegations we host.
Prior to AEGIC, Ian worked with CSIRO’s Grain Quality Research Laboratory on Near-Infrared technology – a field in which he is still an expert. That project was hosted by BRI, so even back then, Ian he was working closely with what would later become AEGIC.
For Ian, increasing value in the Australian grains industry is more than financial. It’s about increasing the utility of Australian grains, and the capability of the people in the industry.
Thank you, Ian, for everything you do for AEGIC and the Australian grains industry.