Richard Green

Richard is involved in governance and management roles in several businesses, including retirement villages, dairy farming, beekeeping and honey marketing. He also serves as an independent director on seven large-scale farming businesses across arable, dairy, deer, and sheep and beef. Richard’s previous roles include general manager of international for PGW Seeds as well as sales and marketing director for AGRICOM. Prior to his 11 years in the seed industry, he spent eight years as an agricultural consultant working predominately in Otago.

Nick Pyke

Nick is a Founder and Director of Ag Innovate Ltd and Leftfield Innovation Ltd. AgInnovate focusses on supporting innovation through high quality applied research and deliver benefits to New Zealand food producers and the agricultural industries. Leftfield Innovation is a social enterprise which uses market insights to develop diversified sustainable land uses delivering food for consumers. Nick has governance experience with agricultural businesses, farms, industry good organisations and a sports organisation. Previous roles including being CEO of FAR (Foundation for Arable Research) from its inception for over 20 years. Prior to this he was a scientist with MAF, DSIR, Agriculture Canada and HortResearch working mostly on horticultural crops. He has held positions on a number of national advisory groups and is the recipient of a number of awards recognising his contribution to agriculture.

Sarah von Dadelszen

Sarah is an owner of a sheep and beef farm and dairy property in Central Hawke’s Bay. She sits on the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Board. Previous roles include chairwoman of the CHB Consumer Power Trust, chairwoman of the NZ Beef Council, independent director of New Zealand Young Farmers board and a former member of the Fonterra Shareholders Council. She also holds several community roles, and has experience as a rural bank manager and prior to that as a farm consultant. Sarah and her husband Sam's farming business won the Richmond Hawke's Bay Farmer of the Year award in 2003. In 2006 she was awarded a scholarship to complete the international FAME course. She has also completed the five-day Institute of Directors governance development programme. Further governance development includes Stanford and Harvard attendances, and in 2019 she is completing the INSEAD International Directors Programme.

Justine Gilliland

Justine is Chief Executive of Venture Taranaki and a board member of Economic Development NZ. Before joining Venture Taranaki, Justine was Deputy Director-General Sector Partnerships and Programmes at the Ministry for Primary Industries, where she led multi-million dollar investment and R&D programmes, Māori partnerships, regional development, and the establishment of Te Uru Rakau-Forestry New Zealand and the One Billion Trees programme. Prior to this, Justine ran the Ministry for Primary Industries’ research and development and other external grants and funds. Before joining MPI, Justine led the Canterbury Earthquakes Royal Commission of Inquiry, and has held a range of senior management positions across communications, strategy and policy. Justine has also been admitted as barrister and solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand

Liam O'Sullivan

Liam farms a coastal Taranaki dairy farm milking 400 cows where he and his family have been since 2014. Prior to this, he had a 16-year agri-banking career working in roles across the North Island, involving a range of senior regional leadership positions. He is a graduate of the Fonterra Governance Development Programme, holds a Bachelor of Agriculture and a Post Graduate Diploma in Rural Studies (valuation) and has held governance and advisory board positions in farming companies. He is currently a member of the Taranaki Dairy Environment leaders' group. Liam’s background is in banking, farming and leading teams.

Malcolm Nitschke

Malcolm is the General Manager of AGMARDT based in Feilding and has held the role for nearly 6 years. Malcolm has a B.Ag.Com degree from Lincoln, majoring in economics and marketing and had, prior to joining Agmardt, completed 18 years rural banking experience, holding various senior management positions with ANZ. Malcolm retains a strong interest in farming, through private consulting and independent directorships as well as owning a cropping and beef fattening farm and a grain trading business, which provides first-hand experience of the challenges that face the food and fibre sector today.

Kerryl Brazendale

Fiona Hatzilamprou