Roy joined SRA in 2010, emigrating from South Africa where he worked for the South African Sugarcane Research Institute (SASRI). His first role in SRA was plant breeder in the SmutBuster project, a program aimed at accelerated breeding of smut-resistant varieties. Since then, Roy has been involved in numerous projects aimed at improving the efficiency of breeding and selection.

Roy is now manager of the southern and NSW breeding and selection programs developing improved varieties for these regions