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Seven candidates are vying for two director positions – chair Rob Hewett, Kate Alexander, Leanne Blakelock, Will Clarke, David Ferguson, Lucy Griffiths, and Sophie Siers.
Voting papers, including independent assessment of candidates by Propero Consulting, were sent to shareholders last month. Voting closes 5pm on Wednesday, August 1.
We profile the seven candidates here:
Kate Alexander
Kate’s experience and qualifications demonstrate her strong suitability for guiding Farmlands through the dynamic landscape of being an input provider for the primary industry sectors. Her background as a farm owner, coupled with her governance experience provide her with valuable insights and a well-rounded perspective.
Growing up on a sheep and beef farm in Northland, Kate’s own farming career began when she and her husband managed a sheep and beef properties in Eastern Taranaki. Eventually they moved back to Northland to work through the Sharemilking system to dairy farm ownership. Twenty five years later they have recently sold the dairy farm and now run a small dry stock property in the Whangarei area.
Kate has a National Diploma in Agribusiness Management and a Diploma in Business (Frontline Management). She has completed the Fonterra Governance Development Programme. She is a member of the NZ Institute of Directors (where she also has a Certificate in Company Direction) and a member of Federated Farmers.
LeAnne Blakelock
Graduating as an accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce and Administration in 2002, LeAnne went on to become a Chartered Accountant and then study Professional Accounting at Post Graduate level. LeAnne has held several roles in both public practice accountancy and variety of corporate roles including Chief Financial Officer across sectors such as local government, oil and gas and international conglomerates.
She gained her Public Practice Certificate in 2012 and has since run her boutique accounting practice focusing on rural business while pursuing a governance career. This has entailed holding several board of trustee positions as well as being an advisor for others across the charity and not-for-profit sector. Focusing on setting strategy for start-up and exponential growth in areas such as community mental health.
LeAnne graduated from the Fonterra Governance Development Programme in 2022 and is currently completing the AgriWomens Development Trust Escalator Programme.
At home on the farm, and along with her husband Ian, they own a 360-cow dairy farm in equity with her parents. The farm runs a jersey cross herd and LeAnne is particularly interested in dairy beef. They rear 150 beef animals a year for various markets.
Will Clarke
Will notes his strong support of the co-operative ethos and has aligned leadership experience in rural and community-facing roles. He is interested in this director position to ‘give back’ to Farmlands and develop his governance career in the agribusiness sector.
He is the Managing Director of Clarke Agri, a large dairy and beef farming operation. He also has knowledge across the sheep and arable sectors. Will has completed several overseas learning trips to strengthen his awareness of changing farm practices and customer trends.
His wider governance experience is drawn from community roles, including as Deputy Chair of Clutha Development (Clutha’s economic development and regional tourism unit) and a committee member of the Pomahaka Water Care Group.
David Ferguson
David draws from significant commercial leadership and business negotiation experience. He notes his affinity with the co-operative model and the ‘value of consolidated buying power’ offered to members. He is interested in the Farmlands role as an opportunity to contribute to more competitive supply in the agribusiness space.
David has family farming connections and a 100-acre block with forestry and cattle interests.
As a Trade Commissioner with NZTE, he worked closely with several agricultural and horticultural co-operatives. He is also on the AMINZ Farm Debt Mediation Panel.
Across his executive career he has developed a broad range of strategic skills including commercial negotiations, international sales and marketing strategy, competition, supply chain management, and regulatory awareness.
Lucy Griffiths
Lucy has focused her governance career in both rural community and advocacy leadership roles. She notes her alignment to and understanding of the co-operative ethos and is interested in this role due to Farmlands’ leadership in the rural development space.
Lucy has family farming connections to the sheep and beef sector and is a lifestyle block owner. She is the owner of Innov8 Aotearoa (a food and beverage consultancy business) and Chair of the Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures (SFFF) advisory panel.
Lucy draws from a depth of food / beverage sales and marketing strategy experience. At Innov8 she has supported a range of clients in product strategy and export development.
She is the deputy Chair of Trust House (a community-owned organisation with a $200m asset base) and Chair of the SFFF (overseeing a $40m investment programme to fund innovation across the food and fibre sectors).
Rob Hewett
Rob is the current chair of Farmlands. He notes his personal alignment to the co-operative ethos and ongoing commitment to the business. He draws from leadership experience across co-operative, agribusiness, community-oriented, listed and regulated companies. He is also a previous winner of Co-operative Business New Zealand’s ‘Outstanding contribution’ award.
Rob has broad agribusiness experience across the red meat, wool, horticulture, arable, logistics and energy sectors. He is the Managing Director of Hewett Farm, a 1020 ha sheep and beef breeding and finishing farm (10,000 su). He is also Chair of Silver Fern Farms Cooperative (SFF Co-op), Chair of Woolworks, director of T&G Global and is a founding member of the Ministry of Primary Industries thinktank Te Puna Whakaaronui.
Sophie Siers
Sophie notes her alignment to the co-operative model and value proposition for members. She has focused her career in sustainable farming and feels she can add value via her understanding of the on-farm implications of changing public policy.
Sophie has 20 years’ experience in beef and sheep farming. She established the Organic Farm Butchery, growing the operation from an on-farm business to a wholesale and retail butchery partnership with eight independent certified organic farms.
Sophie has developed her governance experience through local and regional government roles.
She has ‘hands-on’ experience in policy development and strategic planning in the regulated sector. She has also built broad networks with rural, government and iwi stakeholders.
As a Hawke’s Bay Regional Councillor, she is Chair of both the Environment and Integrated Catchments Committee and Chair Cyclone Recovery Committee. She is gaining more commercial governance exposure as an appointed Director of Hawke’s Bay Tourism.
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