From today, Mr Henderson takes up the role as the Barossa and Light Regional Development Board business development advisor.

The 37-year-old has come to the regional development board from the SA Centre for Innovation.

“My role there had been in transition,” Mr Henderson said.

“It was time for a new challenge.”

Mr Henderson met Anne Moroney, the Development Board chief executive officer, through their shared involvement in the ‘thinker-in-residence’ program.

Both are passionate about businesses working together.

“I suspect regional areas have a head start, without knowledge of the concepts,” Mr Henderson said.

Mr Henderson’s father and grandfather both ran manufacturing companies, so he grew up around an environment of business collaboration.

He completed an engineering degree, focussed on manufacturing, at Swinburne University of Technology, Melbourne.

After graduating, Mr Henderson started work in computer simulation, but quickly figured out that “being tied to a desk” wasn’t for him.

Between the simulator and the Centre for Innovation there have been stints with Toyota and Mitsubishi.

“And I’ve done a lot of travel,” he said.

Mr Henderson was married to his long-term partner Bec just a few months ago.

He has a great interest in food and wine and enjoys reading science-fiction literature and poetry.

From today, he hopes to reach out quickly to local businesses to find out what they expect from his role with the development board.

“The easiest way to do the job is to find out what the customer needs,” Mr Henderson said. “So I need the feedback.”