AWN Welcomes Michael Phelan and Lauren Smith to the Wimmera's Livestock & Property Team

19 Sep 2025, 5pm << Back to News & Media

An alt text for the provided text is: **Image of Lauren Smith, Michael Phelan, and Wayne Driscoll shaking hands in front of the AWN Horsham branch. Michael Phelan is the new Wimmera Branch Manager, taking over from Wayne Driscoll.**

Livestock, Property, Leadership, Media Release

AWN is delighted to announce the appointments of Michael Phelan and Lauren Smith to the AWN Wimmera Livestock & Property team.

Michael joins as Wimmera Area Manager, bringing a strong commercial background in agribusiness. Previously, he has held senior roles at companies like StockCo, Impact Fertilisers, and Agfarm. As a local farmer, his first-hand insight into the region’s challenges provides him with a strong understanding of the adversities faced by producers in the Wimmera.

Michael takes over from Wayne Driscoll in leading the Wimmera team. After 28 years in the lead role and with his team successfully establishing the AWN brand in the Wimmera, Wayne will now increase his focus on what he loves the most, being livestock and rural property sales for his clients across the region, as well as spending just a little bit more time with his family.

Lauren joins AWN as Business Operations Manager to manage the end-to-end office processes and customer service functions for the Wimmera team. A licensed estate agent, Lauren has strong family roots in the Wimmera and brings valuable experience, stemming from several key executive and national roles across the agriculture and real estate sectors, most notably as National Leasing Manager for Westpac. Her property expertise and proficiency in streamlining office business processes will complement Michael’s client-facing role, ensuring AWN continues to deliver the high level of service our clients expect.