Charles Sturt University (CSU) will honour Dubbo businessman Mr Roger Fletcher when it bestows an Honorary Doctorate of Business on him at the Dubbo Campus graduation ceremony on Thursday 24 May. Mr Fletcher will also deliver the Occasional Address to the graduates.

 

CSU Vice-Chancellor, Professor Ian Goulter, said that Mr Fletcher was an outstanding example of the success that could be achieved through the combination of hard work, the ability to recognise and exploit market opportunities, and a commitment to corporate citizenship.

 

“The University is delighted to confer this honorary doctorate on Mr Fletcher in recognition of his outstanding contributions to business, to regional communities through the promotion and development of Australia’s sheep export industry, and for his achievements in Indigenous employment and his outstanding corporate citizenship,” Professor Goulter said.

 

“Mr Fletcher began his working life as a drover in rural NSW and has gone on to create Australia’s leading international meat export companies – Fletcher International Exports Pty Ltd, at Dubbo, and Fletcher International WA, at Albany, Western Australia.

 

“The Fletcher companies employ thousands of people in rural Australia, source their livestock from every Australian state, and export their range of products to more than 70 countries in Europe, America, the Middle East and Asia.

 

“Roger Fletcher believes that everyone has an obligation to protect the environment, and applies a philosophy of using as much of the sheep as possible at his plants. The company re‑uses its waste products and is also an end user of treated effluent. This ‘clean and green’ approach makes Fletcher International Exports Pty Ltd an industry role model and results in waste being used to rejuvenate the environment rather than damage it,” Professor Goulter said.

 

“Mr Fletcher is a Member, Director or Chairman of several leading Australian meat and food industry Councils, however, his success goes beyond business and environmental achievements. The corporate culture at Fletcher International Exports has enabled Indigenous employment in the company to grow by 36% over the last six years. The organisation currently employs 250 Indigenous Australians, constituting 20% of its workforce, and has the aim of placing Indigenous employees at the highest levels throughout the company.

 

“In recognition of these achievements in Indigenous employment, Mr Fletcher was acknowledged with the Neville Bonner award in 2006. In this award his workplace was recognised for being inclusive and culturally safe. This award also commended Mr Fletcher’s work with local high schools in employing disadvantaged youth, particularly Indigenous youth.