The Team

From Concept to Consumer™

The PMA team is brimming with enthusiasm and passion for horticultural marketing. We have sourced talented staff with varied backgrounds who offer exceptional skills in plant science, sales, marketing, graphic design, multimedia, communications and business administration.

Chris Sargent

Managing Director

Chris has been at the helm of PMA for 10 years, driving the company to its current heights. Chris's extensive background in retail and wholesale horticulture has taken him around the world and back. Chris thrives on working at the cutting edge of horticulture with breeders, helping them to define innovation. Chris strives for an industry where innovation is celebrated and rewarded.

Chris has over 20 years experience in the horticultural industry. Directing the intellectual property from over 60 independent plant breeders is a challenging task and one which Chris loves. Chris's experience in horticulture, combined well with his skills and qualifications in business management, provide him with an ideal platform to successfully drive new plants to the market. He is frequently travelling the world, keeping abreast of industry trends and maintaining and building valuable business relationships. The PMA market is a global one and Chris is an expert at identifying and capitalising on opportunities. Chris's core values of honesty, integrity and transparency have been critical to his business success. He is passionate about plants, getting the best possible results for his clients and educating the public about the intriguing world of plant breeding. Chris was recognised as a finalist in the 2012 Australian Small Business Champion Entrepreneur Awards and the 2012 Best Business Leader in the My Business Awards.

Amanda Mackinnon

Operations and Communications Manager

Amanda oversees the implementation of key projects at PMA. She drives our talented team to deliver great results. Amanda's passions lie in the written word and she loves to turn facts into stories that can be used to inspire. Amanda liaises directly with media representatives in Australia. She also coordinates Australian PBR applications.

Amanda hails from a science and education background and has extensive experience teaching around the world. Amanda's first love is writing and she uses her talents to manage the marketing department at PMA. Bringing the history of a new plant to life is always a challenge and akin to translating another language. She posesses the ability to turn a plant breeders skill and knowledge into a story that the consumer can relate to and identify with.

Amanda is the point of contact for all advertising enquiries and media requests.

Jade Plummer

Executive Assistant

Jade provides excellent support to our management team. Jade has a strong passion for professional and efficient service and works hard to communicate effectively with suppliers and growers. Jade's role is to communicate with our industry partners, keeping them informed of all developments.

Jade has extensive experience in the hospitality, tourism and pharmaceutical industries, having worked in all facets of sales, marketing and HR. She is skilled at creating and applying new administrative systems and developing creative business cultures. Jade prides herself on providing professional support to our management team and open communication to PMA's extensive grower network.

Tania Hoffman

Administration Assistant

Tania is often the first contact our clients have with PMA. She has a wealth of knowledge and will steer you in the right direction to get the information you need. Tania heads up our accounts department and has a keen eye for detail. Her finger is always on the pulse.

Tania has an extensive background in administration, working across both the private and public sectors. Tania is responsible for all our invoicing and is the best point of contact for all account enquiries. You can be assured Tania will reply to all enquiries promptly and efficiently.

Naomi Tinning

Graphic Designer

Naomi is an emerging young graphic designer and illustrator with exceptional talent. Naomi is responsible for our image bank and maintains many of our online resources. Naomi brings fresh ideas and new insights to PMA.

Naomi has always been driven towards a creative career having a natural flair for the arts. She has studied a variety of mediums including photography, digital art and graphic design. This interest also dominates Naomi's hobbies and she is well known for her digital illustrations.

Danielle Black

Senior Graphic Designer

Danielle is the mastermind behind many successful branding campaigns. She loves combining her passion for design with her keen interest in horticulture. Danielle has bought a new style and contemporary flair to PMA in recent years. Recently Danielle was awarded The O Group Trade & Enterprise Achievement Award in the 2012 Southern Cross Young Achiever Awards.

Danielle's background is predominantly print design but she has expanded her skills to include multimedia and web applications. She completed her training at RMIT - the International Centre of Graphic Technology and hasn't looked back since. Danielle has a wide range of experience, having owned and operated her own graphic design business and also working for many leading design houses.

Joe Chelkowski

Web/Multimedia

Joe is a talented web designer who thrives on a challenge. Joe's work has its own style, recognisable for its clean lines and effortless functionality. Joe has a passion for multimedia and produces some amazing visual montages of new plants, horticultural events and industry services.

Joe holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts and was a well recognised inclusion on the Dean's Roll of Excellence. His skills are also supported by a Diploma of Graphic Design and Multimedia. Joe has quickly made an impression in the horticultural industry by introducing digital excellence to all projects that he touches. He thrives on the challenge that new technology presents and loves bringing the plant world to life through outstanding photography and multimedia. Joe's hobbies of art, music, photography and travel are evident in his work, providing a much needed edge to the horticultural industry.

Anthony Curnow

Support & Development Manager

Anthony liaises directly with our extensive domestic grower network, coordinating the national greenstock distribution program Prime Starters™. He is a passionate horticulturalist having worked in a variety of roles in the retail and wholesale sectors both here in Australia, and in the UK. Anthony is enthusiastic about business, horticulture and travel, and is excited to be part of the PMA team.

Prior to PMA, Anthony worked for more than 3 years with the Nursery & Garden Industry Victoria (NGIV). As a Business Development Officer, Anthony's role was in assisting retail garden centres to build better businesses, and promoting horticulture as a career. Anthony also served for more than a year on the Horticultural Media Association (HMA) Vic Inc. Board of Directors. His retail focused articles featured each month in 'Groundswell', the NGIV's Trade Magazine, and he has also written various articles for many other horticulture industry publications.

With a growing interest in the NPO sector, particularly those organisations with a social or environmental impact, Anthony completed a Graduate Certificate in Social Impact at Melbourne Business School in 2010.