Marketing Intern - Assistant Product Manager

Farming partnership opens new doors. Longerenong College students will have new opportunities to put agricultural technology into practice through a new collaboration with Emmetts. By Natalie Anderson of the Wimmera Farmer The collaboration brings together Longerenong College's agricultural education, commercial farming, precision agriculture, and Data Farm expertise with Emmetts' leadership in agricultural technology and innovation, supplying students with access to innovative equipment, digital farming systems, and real industry practices. Longerenong College general manager Denise McLellan said strong industry connections were important in giving students experience relevant to today's agricultural businesses. "Everything we do at Longerenong College is focused on preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, and partnerships like this play an important role in that journey," she said. "Access to the latest machinery, advanced technology and industry expertise allows them to put their learning into practice and understand how these tools are being used on farms today." The collaboration's primary focus is practical learning, giving students more opportunities to apply their knowledge in a commercial farming setting. To support this, Emmetts will supply a John Deere combine harvester, front and Colamoon chaser bin for use and demonstration during the college's yearly grain harvest. John Deere Operations Centre will also be integrated across Longerenong College's 1070-hectare Data Farm, further improving the college's existing connected farming, precision agriculture and farm data capabilities. The integration will give students more opportunities to put their classroom knowledge into practice in a commercial farming setting while developing tangible skills relevant to the industry. Emmett's chief operating officer Stuart Milliken said combining agricultural knowledge with an understanding of technology was becoming significantly important for the future of agriculture. "Technology, data and connectivity are becoming an important part of how farmers operate their businesses," he said. "Understanding the technology is one thing; having the opportunity to use it in a real farming environment and see how it supports better decisions is another." The collaboration will strengthen connections between future agricultural professionals and industry through precision agriculture and technology demonstrations, industry engagement, student placements, work experience, internships and career pathways. Longerenong College marketing manager Brad Barber said the collaboration was a natural fit for the two organisations. "We're both local companies," he said. "It seemed like a match made in heaven." Mr Barber said the partnership would generate exciting new opportunities for Emmetts, Longerenong College and the wider agricultural industry. "It's exciting; we can see a lot of opportunities for Emmetts, Longerenong College, and the agricultural sector," he added. Through practical learning, machinery demonstrations, work experience and industry engagement, the initiative aims to equip the next generation of farming professionals with the tangible skills and experience required for the future of agriculture.

People moves: Mano Mannoochahr, Ford Motor. September 22, 2026 Ford Motor has appointed former John Deere executive Mano Mannoochahr as its new Chief AI and Data Officer to lead its global strategy Writing in a post celebrating the announcement on LinkedIn, Mano says: "Joining an iconic American enterprise like Ford feels like a meaningful homecoming." Mano's history. Mano has extensive experience in data and AI. Early in his career, he rose through the ranks at John Deere from IT Division Leader to Global Director of Data, Analytics and Enterprise Architecture - a position he served in from 2012 to 2016. He then moved to General Electric from 2016 to 2019, serving in a variety of roles including Chief Information Officer - GE Energy Connections, Chief Data and Innovation Officer - GE and Chief Information Officer/SVP - GE Transportation. Recently, he served as Chief Data, Analytics and AI Officer at Verizon, where he led enterprise-wide data, analytics and AI strategy for the global telecommunications leader, directing more than three thousand in an organisation to operationalise AI at industrial scale across customer, network and enterprise domains. A full circle moment. Highlighting his role change on LinkedIn, Mano said: "Joining an iconic American enterprise like Ford feels like a meaningful homecoming. Having spent more than 20 years early in my career at companies like John Deere and GE, returning to the heart of American manufacturing to help power the future of mobility, is a deeply rewarding full-circle moment." He highlighted his belief that Ford's legacy of innovation is legendary, but added "what excites me most is the company's clear vision for the future". He said he was looking forward to partnering with Mike Amend, Ford's CTO, Thomas Sweeney, who is Global Head of Ford Business Solutions as well as the Enterprise Technology team and "thousands of talented colleagues across Ford Blue, Ford Model e, Ford Pro and Ford Credit as we write this next chapter together". Mano added: "Here's to helping build a better world where every person is free to move and pursue their dreams!"