Mr Tighe started his working career in the family-owned JH Leavy & Co business, which is one of the longest established fruit and vegetable wholesaling businesses in the Brisbane Markets at Rocklea and has been trading since the late 1800s. As the owner and managing director of JH Leavy & Co, Mr Tighe expanded the company along with highly respected farms and packhouses that have been pleased to supply the company with top quality fruit and vegetables for wholesale/export for over 40 years.
Mr Tighe has been a director of Brisbane Markets Limited (BML) since 1999. BML is the owner of the Brisbane Markets® site and is responsible for its ongoing management and development of its $400m asset portfolio. As the proprietor of the site, BML has over 250 leases in place including selling floors, industrial warehousing, retail stores and commercial offices. BML acknowledges its role as an economic hub of Queensland, facilitating the trade of $1.5 billion worth of fresh produce annually, supporting local and regional businesses of the horticulture industry. As a Board member Mr Tighe has held roles in various sub-committees which include:
- Chairman of Safety and Tenant Advisory Committee
- BML Strategy Investment Committee
- Legal and Compliance Committee
In 2016 the JH Leavy & Co business was sold but Mr Tighe has continued in the senior management of Global Fresh Australia, trading as JH Leavy & Co, to ensure a successful transition of ownership.
Mr Tighe (with his wife Patty) own Magic Bloodstock Racing (MBR), a thoroughbred horse racing and breeding company. MBR has acquired many horses which are trained and raced across Australia and around the world including “Winx”, one of the greatest thoroughbreds of all time winning more than $26m in prizemoney.