Two new staff have joined AGMARDT’s small and agile team. We welcome Madison Pannett as our new Programme Delivery Lead, and Thomas Buchanan as our new Finance, Operations and Governance Manager.
These new roles will make a significant contribution to putting our 2025–2030 strategy in motion, helping AGMARDT operate as a strategic systems catalyst to drive innovation, collaboration and positive change in the food and fibre sector.
Madison Pannett, Programme Delivery Lead
Madison Pannett joins us from the Ministry for Primary Industries, where she led programme delivery and stakeholder engagement as a senior adviser, including managing partnerships for the New Zealand Young Farmer of the Year competition. She was a Kellogg Rural Leadership Scholar and has strong international awareness, holding a Master of International Studies from University of Otago and previously representing New Zealand to the World Organisation for Animal Health.
Programme Delivery Lead is a new role that will translate AGMARDT’s refreshed strategic priorities into action plans and lead their delivery. Madison will also lead reporting on grants, developing and implementing impact measurement frameworks. It is a full-time role that will support and scaffold AGMARDT’s strategic and collaborative programmes.
AGMARDT general manager Lee-Ann Marsh says she was impressed by how connected Madison is across the sector, her strategic thinking and pragmatism, and the way her values and experience align with AGMARDT’s system‑catalyst role.
“I enjoy turning strategy into action, and I’m excited about how this role will help me contribute to innovation and collaboration in the primary sector during this exciting time,” says Pannett.
Thomas Buchanan, Finance, Operations and Governance Manager
Thomas Buchanan joins AGMARDT in a new part-time role leading operational and governance functions, including finance, administration, grants management and board support. He will also continue in a part-time operations role with a food technology start-up.
Tom has a wide range of finance and operations experience in start-ups, non-profits and small businesses, and is also an experienced communicator and event manager. He has previously owned, operated, and sold a small group of companies.
Tom brings a rare level of versatility to the role, says Lee-Ann Marsh. AGMARDT was impressed by his entrepreneurial thinking, strong financial and operational capability, broad experience, and clear communication.
As Finance, Operations and Governance Manager, Tom will be investigating new technology and services to further improve AGMARDT systems and processes, to help our small team meet our big strategic goals.
“I’m excited about working with the team and the wider sector to explore untapped innovation in food and fibre,” says Buchanan. “New Zealand already punches above its weight in this area and I’m looking forward to helping AGMARDT play our part in its continued success.”
Thank you to Fiona Hatzilamprou and Kerryl Brazendale
The new organisational design means AGMARDT has bid a sad farewell to Fiona Hatzilamprou and Kerryl Brazendale.
Fiona was AGMARDT’s financial accountant contractor for 17 years, administering $57 million in grants over that period. Fiona held responsibility for key operations functions, establishing many excellent processes and systems over the years.
Kerryl held the part-time grants administrator role for 12 years and has been the first port of call for grantees, providing excellent customer service and administration, setting up many useful processes and systems relating to AGMARDT grants.
This extraordinary length of service meant Kerryl and Fiona worked with three AGMARDT GMs, 15 trustees, and over a thousand grantees. We all greatly appreciated the warmth, flexibility and responsiveness both Kerryl and Fiona brought to their roles.