Staff

As Chief Executive Officer, Alex’s primary responsibility is the delivery of WAFIC’s strategic goals and objectives as Western Australian peak body representing the interests of the commercial fishing, pearling and aquaculture sectors. Alex is the conduit between WAFIC’s Board of Directors, industry, government and the broader community.

He provides high level strategic and tactical advice on industry-related issues and coordinates the implementation of the Board’s decisions. He also has ultimate responsibility for the corporate governance and financial accountability of WAFIC and for the management and leadership of its staff. As a member of the FRDC’s WA Research Advisory Committee, Alex also assists industry in identifying priority research needs for funding through the FRDC process.

Alex has 15 years of experience in the pearling sector as a licensee and member of a number of commercial boards, as well as a ministerial appointee of the Pearling Industry Advisory Committee. This commercial experience adds to his deep understanding of fishers’ common business concerns.

Off duty Alex is a full-time family guy, an avid traveller and snow skier, and spends most summer weekends on the beach supporting kids sport and patrolling as a volunteer surf lifesaver.

Guy holds a Bachelor Of Science (Zoology) from the University of Western Australia. He co-wrote Continental Shelf Fishes of Northern and North-Western Australia: an illustrated Guide, and was a contributor to Trawled Fishes of Southern Indonesia and North-western Australia while working for CSIRO, Division of Fisheries Research.

His current role with the fishing industry in Western Australia has focused on shoring up the statutory basis for rights based fisheries management including quota based management and statutory compensation for fishers displaced from marine reserves. He is currently the fishing industry project leader for facilitating third party environmental certification of WA’s fisheries through the London based Marine Stewardship Council which provides independent validation of the performance of fisheries.

The Western Australian Fishing Industry Council (WAFIC) has secured funding from the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) for a three-year national seismic research coordination role. With more than 20 years of experience in the commercial fishing sector, including as an external affairs advisor for oil and gas giant Chevron, and most recently as WAFIC’s Executive Officer (Resource Access), Marilyn (Mannie) Shea has been appointed as the principal investigator for this project.

Mannie says the three-year position will provide ongoing support to protect commercial fishermen’s access rights and will identify areas of seismic and commercial fishing environment gaps with the aim for these research gaps to be addressed. Environment plan submissions, consistent processes for environment plan consultations and best practice information for environment plans will also be part of this project’s remit.

Before joining WAFIC Mannie held positions as a senior trade advisor to Austrade, marketing manager for Vinci Seafood Exporters, fresh foods manager for MG Kailis Group and as an executive assistant to politicians in both State and Federal parliaments.

Outside of work her interests include football, cricket, women’s basketball and most major sports as well as travel to both popular and exotic destinations, such as Machu Picchu in South America or her local beach to walk her two beautiful dogs.

Matt, as WAFIC’s Senior Resource Access Officer, supports the work of the Executive Officer Resource Access, Mannie Shea, and liaises extensively with WAFIC’s members and others within the commercial fishing, pearling and aquaculture sectors as well as with government regulators.

Matt who holds a doctorate degree in fish biology from Murdoch University took on his resource access role with WAFIC after working for many years in WA’s Department of Fisheries – most recently specialising in Western rock lobster research.

Outside of WAFIC, Matt likes to spend time walking his family’s Golden Retriever along the river. He also enjoys cooking, makes his own sausage and enjoys travelling.

Grace is the quiet achiever who beavers away behind the scenes to ensure the smooth financial operation of WAFIC. As Finance Officer she has primary responsibility for providing a range of timely and integrated financial information which is a keystone of the reporting required by the CEO to support the WAFIC Board’s decision making.

Duties include managing all accounts (payable and receivable), payroll, reconciliation, journal entries, BAS and FBT preparations, end of year audit preparation and developing and maintaining financial relations with external stakeholders. Transparency and accountability are more than buzz words to Grace – they are standards she upholds on a daily basis.

When not at work, Grace enjoys travelling, gardening, film and interacting with her iPad.

Amanda is the cool, calm and collected Executive Assistant, working primarily with CEO Alex and the Board of WAFIC.

With over 20 years of Administration experience, Amanda has recently obtained her Diploma of Business Administration, and has worked mostly within the Not-for-Profit Sector over her career.

Away from the office,  Amanda spends most weekends with her musician husband at gigs, or passionately supporting the Fremantle Dockers at their games.  Amanda also enjoys taking photos and has started trying to branch into event photography in her spare time.