Meet the team
The MRIC team is made up of the Centre Director, Co-Directors and staff.
Rebecca Wells
MRIC Chief Executive
Rebecca Wells was born in Mildura and raised on a vineyard in Merbein, returning to the region in late 2008 after several years in a media career internationally. Throughout the past decade, Rebecca has immersed herself in community and professional networks in the Mallee region.
Rebecca holds a range of leadership and advocacy roles in the region including Chair, Director and representative roles for organisations including Merbein and District Community Bank Branch of Bendigo Bank and formally Bendigo and Adelaide Bank’s Community Bank National Council, Victorian State Government’s Mallee Regional Partnership and as communications manager for Australian Table Grape Association.
Paula Mastrippolito
Business Support Coordinator
Paula Mastrippolito is the Business Support Coordinator for the Mallee Regional Innovation Centre and is based in Mildura at the Centre’s SuniTAFE offices.
Paula has a broad range of experience and skills in governance, risk management and strategic planning having worked with complex systems and process in several larger organisations.
As the Business Support Coordinator Paula manages the administration support across the breadth of MRIC's operations.
Robert Mann
Research, Investment and Commercialisation Advisor
Robert is the Business Development Manager in the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences at UoM.
His role involves developing new opportunities for the faculty across the full range of it's capabilities and impact areas including for example food, drought resilience, production agriculture, one health, veterinary training, and animal welfare.
Ben Watts
Philanthropic Advisor
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