Jack Millbank was brought up on a mixed farming property in Zimbabwe. He completed a BAppSc at The University of QLD, Australia in 2001. Jack has worked in a diverse range of farming, ag-tech, geotechnical, analytical, food and beverage industries. He started at Crop Tech and T-Systems before moving onto AUSVEG as the North Australian IDO. He then began growing fruit in the Mary Valley, and in 2009 Jack became the CEO of Hortus Technical Services, Australia’s leading independent certified laboratory and agronomic services company.

In 2013 Jack founded a microbial biotechnology company – Biofilm Crop Protection Pty Ltd. A year later he founded the Bargara Brewing Company, producing Craft Beer, Cider & Seltzer. In November 2019 Hortus and Biofilm, merged to form Novum Lifesciences.

In 2020, Jack founded Lexi Tech (Singapore) as a Global Ag Tech Data Management company. AgPro is the cornerstone SaaS technology platform and data hub underpinning agronomics, product distribution and application. Data partners around the world use AgPro to service 400 crops grown by over 3000 farmers covering over one million ha in over 20 countries.

Jack and his family own property in Bundaberg and in 2020 established Hartwood Smart Farm as Australia’s only purebred Tuli cattle stud. The stud uses advanced genomics, FTAI, and a collection of genetics incorporating 13 bulls selected by CSIRO and imported from Zimbabwe in the 1990s. “Hartwood Tuli’s” form the nucleus herd of pure genetics to contribute to composite herds around the world. Six Hartwood Tuli bulls are currently having their full genome mapped as part of a Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation research project investigating bovine parasite resistance in Sub-Saharan dairy production.

As a 2006/7 Nuffield Scholar studying “Globally competitive horticultural production processing and marketing using renewable energy”, he spent time researching best practice agronomic management, product processing, clean energy and marketing in India, New Zealand, China, UAE, UK and the US.

Jack has had an active involvement in finding solutions to improve the efficiency and profitability of producers by facilitating the optimal use of crop production inputs through monitoring, testing, research, training and consulting services that represent global best practice.