Sam Platts of Nutrien Ag Solutions Bombala has been named Industry Woman of the Year, powered by Zoetis, in the 2026 AuctionsPlus Awards. The win caps off a year in which she assessed 1,105 head of cattle and 5,749 head of sheep with a 95% clearance rate.
The result places Ms Platts in the top 10% of AuctionsPlus product users and the top 10% of sheep assessors nationally by throughput, along with a top 40% ranking for cattle.
Ms Platts has been accredited with AuctionsPlus for 12 years on sheep and nine years on cattle, and has built her career the long way round. She joined the Bombala branch, then trading as Landmark, in 2001 in a merchandise and administration role, before moving across to the livestock side about a decade later.
"I had aimed to work as an agent pretty much from when I left school," Ms Platts said. "I did a bit of merchandise, real estate and stock management for a few years, and just kept slowly pushing to get out and do more livestock."
When Nutrien took over the business, Ms Platts made her intentions clear.
"They said they wanted me to stay on, and I said I'm happy to stay, but I want to step into livestock," she said.
Born and raised in Bombala, Ms Platts now works full-time as a livestock agent alongside running her own cattle property, giving her a producer's perspective that clients say comes through in her work.
Attention to detail has become something of a trademark. Ms Platts uses a dedicated $3,000 camera to capture yard photos, switching to her phone only when space or access makes the bigger camera impractical.
"I do take pride in my photos," she said. "One client also told me I'm a bit softer on his stock, he doesn't like his cattle manhandled a lot. I think that's just a softer approach that some people appreciate."
Ms Platts has not shied away from discussing the challenges of building a career as a female livestock agent in an industry still dominated by men.
"There's a lot of obstacles when you're a female in the livestock industry, but if you're determined enough to do it, you'll be right," she said. "It's definitely been worth pushing through the hard stuff to get where I am."
She points to the physical demands of the job, including mouthing cattle in the yards, as well as attitudes she has had to overcome from some male agents and clients early in her career.
"There was a bit of a mentality from some of the older blokes, what would she know, she's a female. That's something I've had to push through," Ms Platts said. "But I've had a lot of support too, and a lot of clients and repeat buyers on AuctionsPlus that I deal with regularly now."
Her advice for young women considering a career in the industry is straightforward.
"Just get in and have a go," she said.
AuctionsPlus chief executive Wyn Snyman said Ms Platts' story reflected the depth and determination within the assessor network.
"It's a pleasure to recognise Sam and her contribution to not just the AuctionsPlus platform but the wider agricultural community," Mr Snyman said. "Sam's grit and determination to become a livestock agent is impressive to all who know her. Her dedication to doing the job thoroughly is appreciated by vendors, buyers and the wider AuctionsPlus team. Well done Samantha."
For the first time, the Industry Woman of the Year award has been powered by Zoetis, with the winner securing tickets to a sporting event of their choosing.
Zoetis Livestock Marketing Manager Daniel Guest said the company was proud to sponsor the award that shines a light on successful women in livestock.
“Congratulations Sam, you’re doing an incredible job, keep it up.”
Top Throughput Cattle Assessor: Darryl Napper
Top Throughput Sheep Assessor: Kelvin Donnan
Top Throughput Cattle Agency and Top Throughput Combined Livestock Agency: Davidson Cameron & Co
Top Throughput Sheep Agency: Spence Dix & Co Keith
Top Throughput Machinery Agency: Phillips Livestock & Auctions
Howard Gardner Award: Trevor Basset
Gary Dick Award: James Tierney
Young Gun Award: Charlie Bible