Prue Ireland in Business Advice Agency job after Irelands Angus failures

Prue Ireland, business manager of failed Ireland Angus companies, has a new job working for the Business Advice Agency, which helps small business operators to succeed and prosper.

A BUSINESSWOMAN who oversaw the collapse of two companies owing dozens of creditors millions of dollars is now the state manager of a support network designed to help business owners “survive and prosper”.

Prue Ireland, who was business and marketing manager of the failed Irelands Angus stud at Kyeamba near Wagga Wagga in NSW with husband Corey Ireland, has landed a job as the South Australian manager of the Business Advice Agency Pty Ltd, a company set up last November to “drive a new era of small business success in Australia”.

The company’s mission is to “create Australia’s most valued business hub, forming an energised community of successful business owners and educating, resourcing, supporting, and mentoring them to achieve their personal and business goals”.

“We are determined to disrupt the failure rate of businesses in this country because we have seen some incredibly talented people who were brilliant at their craft struggle with their own business,” the company’s website says.

“The Business Advice Agency has hand chosen a network of experts, dedicated to helping small business owners do better in all aspects of their business so they can survive, thrive and prosper.”

With her husband, Ms Ireland is the co-owner and co-director of CD & PJ Ireland Pty Ltd, the trustee of the Ireland family trust, which ran an Angus breeding operation, Irelands Angus.

CD & PJ Ireland was placed in liquidation on November 14 last year with debts of about $13.3 million.

The next day, another company, IFTT Pty Ltd, was set up to become the new trustee of the Ireland family trust, with Ms Ireland the sole director and owner.

Westpac Banking Corporation placed IFTT Pty Ltd in receivership on December 24 in an attempt to recoup $3.5 million loaned to Irelands Angus to buy 1654 stud and commercial cattle.

After being taken to the Supreme Court in June this year by the 408 Angus Stud of the late Australian cricketer Philip Hughes, Mr and Ms Ireland agreed to pay the stud $850,000 after giving a personal guarantees on a cattle deal in 2016.

That money has still not been paid.

Mr Ireland has been charged with eight counts of fraud over cattle deals, with the NSW Director of Public Prosecutions now handling the case.

The NSW Police Rural Crime Unit said it had not ruled out charging other people with offences involving Irelands Angus.

The Weekly Times is not suggesting Ms Ireland is under investigation or likely to be charged with offences.

Ms Ireland also ran an indoor sports centre in Wagga Wagga for about five years with a business partner but it faltered and they walked away from the operation, owing the landlords $9000 in unpaid rent.

One landlord said, after repeated unsuccessful demands for the rent payment, Ms Ireland was taken to court to force repayment.

The matter was settled with the landlords paid rent in full plus legal costs just as the court case was to begin.

Ms Ireland told The Weekly Times she withheld the rent due to a dispute with the landlords.

She said she had run a successful Angus and Robertson bookshop franchise and jewellery store in Wagga Wagga and had previously worked as merchandise manager, membership manager and client services manager at the Essendon Football Club.

Ms Ireland left NSW earlier this year to return to Adelaide where she grew up.

Her LinkedIn profile supporting her role at BAA states that she is an “experienced business manager, highly motivated and results oriented” who had a proven history in management and leadership.

“She has relied on sound judgment, organisation, calm leadership skills and a clarity on business strategy to succeed,” the website said.

Business Advice Agency co-owner Philip Rice said Ms Ireland’s past was “history”.

Mr Rice said they chatted with Ms Ireland about the Irelands Angus business prior to her being employed.

There are numerous reasons why a business might go down,” he said.

“Ninety-nine per cent of the time it’s not the business owner’s fault.

“Unless that person has done something fraudulent — which is not the case here — it’s a part of business.

“They survive or die because of so many reasons.”

Ms Ireland told The Weekly Times her role as state manager for BAA did not involve providing advice and that she managed the membership base.

That advice was provided by industry partners.

The BAA website quotes Ms Ireland as saying: “I have personally experienced the highs and lows of running my own business,”

“I would like to use this experience to help Business Advice Agency members to thrive and grow their operations in challenging and evolving times by facilitating positive and supportive relationships between our members and the team of industry experts that we have hand picked as our Business Advice Agency partners in South Australia.”

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