Ben Tosswill has been appointed Chair of the AGMARDT Board of Trustees.
After four years as an AGMARDT Trustee, Ben succeeds Nick Pyke, who steps down after seven years on the Board, including five as Chair.
Ben is owner/operator of Birch Hill Station with his wife Libby in the Hawkes Bay. Birch Hill Station has been recognised with three East Coast Ballance Farm Environment Awards for farming efficiency, climate action and sustainable farming.
Before returning to farming, Ben worked in rural banking in New Zealand and corporate and investment banking in London. His experience spans farming, finance, investment and industry leadership. He is the former Chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand’s Eastern North Island Farmer Council and a former member of its National Farmer Council Executive.
“I want to acknowledge the great job Nick has done as Chair and his lasting contribution to AGMARDT,” says Ben.
“He has challenged us to think differently about where AGMARDT can have the greatest impact. I’m looking forward to building on that work as the Trustees continue to put our strategy into action to ignite transformation in Aotearoa New Zealand’s food and fibre sector.”
Reflecting on his time with AGMARDT, Nick said he was excited about what lies ahead for the organisation.
“I am confident AGMARDT is well-positioned for the future and convinced its greatest contribution to the sector still lies ahead,” he says.