Alumni in the Spotlight – Lisa Portas, Dani Darke, Caroline Batley, Nathan Guy, and more.

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Caroline Batley

Caroline Batley (Kellogg 2022)

Caroline Batley recently completed two years as a Trustee of the Waikato Farmers Trust. In 2025 Caroline was also appointed the new Chairperson of the St Peter’s Owl Farm Governance Committee.

Nathan Guy

Nathan Guy (Kellogg 1999) was appointed Special Agricultural Trade Envoy (SATE) late last year. He replaces Hamish Marr (2019 Nuffield Scholar) in the role.

He featured in a recent Rural News article in his capacity as SATE, saying the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with India is a good deal for the country.

You can read the full article here.

Lisa Portas

Lisa Portas (Nuffield 2025, Kellogg 2019) has become Associate Trustee AGMARDT, replacing Phil Weir (2020 Nuffield Scholar).

Wairarapa-based, Lisa has over a decade of experience working in agriculture, rural businesses and supply chains in New Zealand and internationally.

Take a read of this Farmers Weekly article on Lisa and the AGMARDT appointment.

Dani Darke

Dani Darke (2025 Nuffield Scholar) and her husband Anthony recently spoke at B+LNZ Tasman Farming for Profit Field Day. They are sheep and beef farmers from the King County, farming Coopworth ewes and Fresian bulls.

Dani is a director for Ballance Agri-Nutrients and is currently finishing off a Nuffield Scholarship with a focus on how we sell our beef to the world. Dani is passionate about rural communities and is interested in making our farms more profitable and our communities stronger.

Michael Tayler

Michael Tayler (2012 Nuffield Scholar) currently serves as chair of United Wheatgrowers New Zealand. Based in Christchurch, the organisation manages grower levies, insurance schemes, and industry representation.

Michael featured in a Farmers Weekly article in January (and on TVNZ) about hail-affected cropping farmers counting losses in the millions after a series of extreme hail events, the worst recorded by United Wheatgrowers.

Three major hail events hit Canterbury farmers over the Christmas and New Year period, stripping crops. Michael said on average one hail event would affect 300 to 400 hectares. But from these events, 71 claims had been made accounting for almost 5,000ha of wheat.

Take a read of last month’s article here.

Kate Scott

Kate Scott (2018 Nuffield Scholar), Rural Leaders’ Chair and HortNZ CEO, appeared in Hort News recently. Kate reflected on the achievements the sector has seen over the last year, especially apples and kiwifruit.

Regarding apple exports pushing past the billion dollar mark, Kate says, “I think that is testament to apple growers, particularly if they have been recovering from the effects of Cyclone Gabrielle,” she says.

Take a read of the full article here.

Kylie Leonard

Kylie Leonard (2023 Nuffield Scholar) appeared in Farmers weekly recently. Kylie’s Nuffield research explored the effects of ESG on farm finance and this was central to the article.

Kylie travelled widely on her Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarship, and gained new perspectives on farming systems, ESG and the role farmers play in strong, resilient communities.

Take a read of the full Farmers Weekly article here.

Future Food and Fibre Leaders Pulse Check – PwC and Rural Leaders.

What’s top of mind for Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme Scholars?

Rural Leaders, in partnership with PwC New Zealand, piloted Future Food and Fibre Leaders Pulse Check with Kellogg Programme One early in 2025.

Pulse Check is a snapshot of what’s top of mind for Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme Scholars, captured through workshops facilitated by PwC and Rural Leaders.

The second Pulse Check with Kellogg Programme Two 2025, captured five key messages.

Here are two:

Adapt and lead through changing times
Be empowered to redefine success

Click here to discover more in the short report.

Thank you to PwC, and to our Strategic and Programme Partners for their ongoing support of the Kellogg Programme and our shared mission to grow leadership in the food and fibre sector.

Kellogg Programme Two (K54) 2025 graduate.

After six months, 19 in-person days, delivered across three phases, K54 Kellogg Programme Two 2025, have completed their individual research reports and have graduated.

Congratulations Kellogg Programme Two 2025

Rural Leaders are pleased to share the latest reports from the graduates of Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme Two 2025 (K54).

Over the last six months the graduates have grown as people and as leaders. A large part of this growth has come from a deep dive into a research topic of interest to them and of value to the sector.

Congratulations to all of the Scholars. Anna Vaughan, Matt Scarf, Tara Dwyer, Tim Orlando-Reep, Natasha Cave, David March, Tim Waehling, Bryan Gibson, Nick Vernon, Nicky Halley, Zac Howell, Pranoy Pal, Geoff Crawford, Olivia Smith, Campbell Smith.

The reports covers such topics as: Biodiversity credit for sheep and beef farmers, news with value, genotyping the NZ sheep flock, wearables, dairy social license, data interoperability, and competition vs collaboration.

You can read K54’s reports here

The design and delivery of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme is only possible through the generous and ongoing support of our investing partners:

Strategic Partners: DairyNZ,AGMARDT (The Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust),Mackenzie Charitable Foundation,FMG (Farmers Mutual Group).

Programme Partners: Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI),Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited,Horticulture New Zealand,Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC),Zespri International,Rabobank New Zealand,Beef + Lamb New Zealand.

Media Partners: CountryWide Media, Farmers Weekly NZ

Professional Partners: PwC, Tavendales, Federated Farmers

Alumni in the Spotlight – Geoffrey Neilson, Dan Steele, Emma Crutchley, Conan Moynihan, Dan Eb and more.

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Geoffrey Neilson

Geoffrey (Geoff) Neilson (Nuffield 1976)

Southern farmers Geoff and Ailsa Neilson are being celebrated for opening their home and the minds of scores of Welsh visitors. ODT’s Shawn McAvinue talks to Mr Neilson about his family hosting more than 100 Welsh students on their sheep and beef farm and his wife being his greatest mentor.

Take a read of this ODT article about an extraordinary couple, and a Nuffield alum who is the embodiment of the Nuffield spirit.

Emma Crutchley, Jon Pemberton

Emma Crutchley (Kellogg 2018, Value Chain 2023), Jon Pemberton (Nuffield 2025), ‘Farm without Harm’ video.

Otago sheep and beef farmer Emma Crutchley (2018 Kellogg Scholar, 2023 Value Chain) and Jon Pemberton (2025 Nuffield Scholar) feature in a ‘farm without harm’ campaign (Safer Farms/ACC).

The campaign leads with videos sharing practical tips designed to help farmers to make small changes to the way they might do things. Ultimately, the work aims to reduce on-farm injury by suggesting a pause before you act; ACC’s familiar ‘hmmm’ ad platform.

If you haven’t seen these clips already, check out one here.

Dan Steele

Dan Steele (Nuffield 2015, Value Chain 2023)

Blue Duck Station owner Dan Steele NZ and wife Sandy recently won the tourism environment category at the New Zealand Tourism Awards.

Blue Duck Station, is a working beef and sheep farm and eco-tourism destination in Whanganui National Park.

“We’re really hoping that this becomes more mainstream, for more businesses to do more conservation work and pay their rent to NZ for looking after our natural capital,” said Dan.

Congratulations to Dan, family, and the Blue Duck Station team. Take a read of a Whanganui Chronicle article here.

Dan Eb

Dan Eb (Nuffield 2021)

In his semi-regular crafting of articles for Farmers Weekly’s ‘Eating the Elephant column, Dan asserts that Pirates were actually the pioneers of modern Human Resources and workplace culture.

“Despite working in a context of high seas thievery and murder, they built flat, high-performing organisations based on trust, transparency and teamwork that outdo many modern teams and companies.”

Dan offers a few pirate myths this idea busts and lessons it offers for us modern folk. Take a read of the article here.

Conan Moynihan, Phoebe Scherer, Reuben Carter, Dr Jordi Hoult, Daniel Judd

The following alumni featured in the latest issue of CountryWide magazine. To access the Virtual Magazine, you need to be a subscriber and be logged in to the site.

Log in here or choose your subscription here: 12-month CountryWide Digital Only Subscription. OR purchase a copy for delivery

Conan Moynihan (Kellogg 2022), CountryWide Magazine, Page 24.
Conan ‘Force of Nature Consulting’, is helping farmers find the sweet spot between environmental and economic sustainability. Conan believes that the future of farming must remain rooted in tradition and in transformation too.

Phoebe Scherer, Reuben Carter (HortNZ Leadership Programme 2025 and 2024 respectively)
On Page 82 and 83 an article ‘Nurturing the next generation’ offers a timely dive into the future of leadership in the horticulture sector. Horticulture New Zealand celebrates 20 years this year.

Bay of Plenty grower and 2025 Young Grower of the Year, Phoebe Scherer and Reuben Carter, along with Kate Scott, CEO HortNZ, offer comment on leadership in the sector.

Dr. Jordi Hoult (Kellogg 2024), CountryWide Magazine, Page 80.
Jordi graduated Kellogg after presenting her research ‘Empowering the missing middle in leadership’. The report asserts that 30-50 years old farmers and rural professionals are missing from the leadership conversation.

On her research Jordi says, “Despite the wealth of experience many in this group possess, traditional leadership development pathways tend to focus on younger individuals, leaving mid-career professionals without the resources they need to continue growing.”

Daniel Judd (Kellogg 2025), CountryWide Magazine, Page 58.
Daniel’s excellent Kellogg report, ‘The soils gap: interactions between science, commerce and culture, is explored on page 58 and 59 of the magazine. Daniel’s report and the article explore the drivers behind conventional and regenerative farming practices and seeks to reduce the barriers that seperate the two approaches.

NZRLT (Rural Leaders) Leadership update.

After nearly nine years with Rural Leaders, including the last two and a half years as Chief Executive Officer, Lisa Rogers has decided the time is right to move on from her role, effective 9 January 2026.

During her time with the Trust, Lisa has made a significant and lasting contribution. She has led Rural Leaders through several major projects and periods of change, and now feels the time is right for someone new to build on this work and continue to advance the Trust.

While the Board is saddened by Lisa’s decision to move on, it fully supports her choice and is confident that her influence on Rural Leaders and rural leadership will continue well beyond her tenure with the organisation.

The Board will begin a recruitment process in the new year. Over the coming weeks, we will also work with the Rural Leaders’ team to ensure the continued delivery of our programmes.

The Board is very confident in the teams’ ability to continue to deliver to the high standard they are known for during this period of change.

If you would like to discuss this announcement further, please feel free to get in touch at Kate@landpro.co.nz

Kind regards,
Kate Scott
Board Chair, NZ Rural Leadership Trust

Alumni in the Spotlight – Clare Bradley, Jared Clarke, Kelly Heckler, Tracey Perkins, Erica van Reenen, Dr Jordi Hoult

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Clare Bradley, Jared Clarke, Kelly Heckler, Tracey Perkins, 2026 Nuffield Scholars

The four new Nuffield Scholars received their awards in Parliament on 4 November.
From Canterbury, Otago and the Bay of Plenty, and representing industries including dairy, sheep and beef and aquaculture, they join 193 Nuffield New Zealand alumni and over 2000 international alumni.

Coverage in the news includes:

Erica van Reenen, 2012 Kellogg Scholar

Erica van Reenen featured on REX (Rural Exchange) recently. Erica is the 2025 Rural Professional of the Year and AgFirst Chair. Erica spoke about her time working in government policy at the intersection of the Clarke and Key tenures. And she spoke about the lessons she learned and her time as a Kellogg Scholar. Listen to the podcast episode here.

Dr Jordi Hoult, 2024 Kellogg Scholar

Dr Jordi Hoult, discusses drawing on her Kellogg research and experience in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector with Sarah Perriam-Lampp on the CountryWide podcast. Jordi explores how to empower mid-career professionals often overlooked in leadership. She identifies her Kellogg research “the missing middle” and highlights mentorship and flexible development as key to helping people in their 30s–50s thrive and shape the sector’s future.

Listen to the podcast episode here.

Renée Walker joins the Rural Leaders team.

The New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders) is pleased to announce the appointment of Renée Walker as Kellogg Programme Facilitator. Renée will join Kellogg Programme One 2026.

For Renée Walker, Rural Leaders’ newly appointed Kellogg Programme facilitator, leadership has always been about people – seeing them, understanding them, and helping them unlock their own potential.

A former Chief Operating Officer and senior executive with more than 20 years’ experience leading teams through transformation and culture-building, Renée has built a career defined by involvement, visibility, and genuine connection. She has led through complexity – notably during Canterbury’s post-earthquake recovery -and brings deep experience in strategy, change leadership, and executive-level coaching.

Today, Renée is the director of The Leadership Revolutionist and Thrive For Life, working across New Zealand to equip leaders – from senior executives to Year 13 students – with the confidence, mindset, and capability to lead with heart and courage. She is known for her high-energy facilitation style, practical frameworks, and ability to create space for honest reflection and meaningful change. Her facilitation work spans boardrooms, classrooms, and conference stages, including leadership programmes, culture workshops, and Extended DISC and NLP-based development experiences.

From two large North Otago farming families, Renée’s connection to the rural sector runs deep. “It’s not just the backbone of New Zealand,” Renée reflects. “It is New Zealand. The rural sector is who we are.” With generations of family farming behind her, she understands the culture, values and pressures of rural life – and the pride that goes with it.

That rural pride led to working with Alliance Group – New Zealand’s only 100% farmer-owned red meat cooperative at the time – working in a role supporting and advocating for farmers. “My family have always been Alliance shareholders and suppliers,” Renée explains. “It felt important to be part of something that represents farmers so directly.”

Renée’s leadership journey began with a childhood dream of teaching, inspired by a grandmother who taught in small rural schools. “I thought you could only change lives by being a teacher,” Renée says. “But I realised leadership can do that too, being the person who sees others and helps them grow.”

Her career has spanned marketing, communications, insurance, and government relations, including her role as Deputy Chief Executive at EQC. “I’ve never been defined by a title,” Renée insists. “I don’t claim to be the smartest or the most technical person in the room, but I get people, and that’s been my greatest strength.”

Her work now focuses on culture, capability, and future-ready leadership – areas she believes are essential in a rural sector navigating generational change. “Young people don’t want hierarchy – they want autonomy, influence, and choice. That shift can be confronting… but also incredibly exciting for the sector.”

As the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme Facilitator, Renée hopes to foster “…more diversity of voice…” in the sector. “We need different ways of thinking at the table,” Renée says. “Leadership is about helping people have an informed voice, especially as governments’ views of the rural sector can change.”

Outside work, Renée describes life as “integrated rather than balanced.” She balances time with her 13 year old son, and large extended family with community and board roles. Renée serves on the boards of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Riccarton Rotary Youth Trust, is a registered Marriage Celebrant, and an active supporter of several charities.

“I’m not known for relaxing…one of my key values is curiosity – I believe the more curious you are and the more you do, the more interesting and connected you become. That’s how you can really help others.”

Renée joins Kellogg Programme One 2026, which starts 27 January in Lincoln.

2026 Nuffield NZ Farming Scholars announced.

Last night (Tues 4 Nov) at Parliament, in front of Rural Leaders’ investing partners and political and industry leaders, Hon. Minister Todd McClay awarded the 2026 Nuffield Scholarships to four new leaders.

Nuffield Farming Scholarships have been awarded to New Zealand’s Primary Industries leaders for 75 years.

With a global network of more than 2,000 alumni, 197 of these from New Zealand, Nuffield continues to help build rural leadership capability and Food and Fibre NZ’s global profile.

Last night at Parliament, in front of Rural Leaders’ investing partners and political and industry leaders, Hon. Minister Todd McClay awarded the 2026 Nuffield Scholarships to four new leaders.

The 2026 scholars represent three regions and several industries including dairy, aquaculture, and red meat.

The cohort will undertake a Rural Leaders delivered programme that offers a life-changing opportunity for travel, study of the latest agriculture innovations and an introduction to decision-makers around the world.

The new scholars were announced by Minister McClay as: Clare Bradley, a Bay of Plenty Aquaculturalist, Jared Clarke, a Canterbury Farmer, Kelly Heckler, an Otago Farmer, and Tracey Perkins, a Canterbury Farmer. They are the 194^th, 195^th, 196^th and 197^th New Zealand scholars respectively.

“Clare, Jared, Kelly and Tracey have shown they value giving back to community and industry, they display innovative approaches to their work, and they have demonstrated a track record of meeting challenges head on.

Ultimately, they are now tasked with finding those deep insights that will create lasting benefit for New Zealand food and fibre, their industries and their communities,” said Kate Scott, Rural Leaders and Nuffield NZ Chair.

Lisa Rogers, Rural Leaders’ CEO added, “Clare, Jared, Kelly and Tracey have each exhibited the characteristics that embody a Nuffield Scholar and ambassador for NZ Food and Fibre.”

Introducing the 2026 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars.

Clare Bradley, CEO AgriSea, Bay of Plenty
Clare Bradley is based in Paeroa with her children and husband AgriSea Chief Innovation Officer, Tane. Clare, CEO, leads a 30-strong team pioneering seaweed-based bio-stimulants, animal health supplements, and high-value hydrogels for agriculture and biotechnology.

Clare is a leading advocate for the sustainable growth of Aotearoa’s seaweed sector. Guided by appreciation & respect for the marine environment, Clare has championed innovation that protects New Zealand’s underwater forests while creating economic, environmental, and cultural value.

As the founding Chair of the Aotearoa New Zealand Seaweed Association, and Rere ki Uta, Rere ki tai, Clare is driving collaboration between Western science and Mātauranga Māori to build a trusted, sustainable sector.

Under her leadership, AgriSea promotes local empowerment, zero-waste production, and circular economy principles. Known for her environmental vision, Clare continues to shape New Zealand’s emerging blue economy, turning the country’s rich marine biodiversity into a model of innovation and guardianship.

Clare’s Nuffield research is likely to explore the economic, environmental, and logistical viability of smaller, decentralised processing hubs and whether they can create local jobs, strengthen value chains, and enhance commercial resilience.

Jared Clarke, Farmer, Canterbury (John Hopkins Scholarship Award Winner)
Jared Clarke is a Canterbury dairy farmer with a strong record of performance, innovation and team development. A Lincoln University B.Ag.Sci (Hons) graduate.

From 2017 to 2022, Jared and his wife Victoria operated Two Rivers Ltd, a 50/50 sharemilking business milking 2,000 cows. In 2022, they formed an equity partnership and purchased Mount Rivers Ltd, a 1,000-cow irrigated dairy farm supplying A2 milk to Synlait. Under their leadership, the business has delivered high returns, sustainability initiatives and strong team retention.

Jared believes that “turning sunlight into food is a noble task.” Known for his ability to ignore constraints, he enjoys helping fellow farmers where he can on performance, people and innovation.

Off-farm, Jared’s governance work includes director of Barrhill Chertsey Ltd, a member of the Canterbury Farm Business Group, and a former member of LIC’s Shareholder Reference Group.

Interested (and passionate) about the potential for a reduced reliance on imported energy, both on-farm and at a national level, Jared’s Nuffield research is likely to be on the generation and storage of energy.

Kelly Heckler, Farmer, Community Leader, Central Otago
Kelly Heckler and her family farm Lauder Creek, a high-country sheep and beef property in the Manuherekia catchment of Central Otago.

Kelly is a values-driven leader and advocate for sustainable food and fibre production, recognised for her commitment to intergenerational resilience in New Zealand’s primary industries.

As chairperson of Otago Water Resource Users Group, Kelly led the organisation through a major transformation, restructuring it into a formal incorporated society to improve accountability and adaptability. “Real impact doesn’t always come with grand gestures … it’s often about steady progress behind the scenes,” says Kelly.

Kelly’s leadership philosophy centres on authenticity and collaboration. Her experience navigating policy reform and community engagement has deepened her understanding of the challenges facing rural New Zealand.

Kelly aims to build a resilient, intergenerational farming business and advance innovative farm-planning solutions that support people and environment. She sees the future of agriculture as one built on integrity, communication, and shared purpose. “When we bring people together behind a common vision, we can shape a thriving, sustainable future for generations to come,” added Kelly.

Kelly is exploring research in Freshwater Management with specific focus on water allocation in overallocated catchments.

Tracey Perkins – Farmer, Sustainable Land and Water Management Advisor, Founder of AgriThrive

Tracey Perkins is a Canterbury-based dairy farmer, facilitator, and sustainable land and water management advisor who combines hands-on agricultural experience with a deep commitment to helping rural communities thrive.

Living in Darfield on a 1050-cow dairy farm with her partner Jonny and their three children, Tracey balances family life with leadership in sustainable land use and rural development.

Of Ngā Puhi and Raukawa descent, Tracey brings both cultural grounding and practical expertise to her work.

As the Founder and Lead Facilitator of AgriThrive, she is the only agricultural facilitator in New Zealand using a trauma-informed, farmer-to-farmer approach. A graduate of the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme, she has over a decade of professional experience in biosecurity and environmental sustainability.

Tracey’s achievements include forming and guiding numerous Canterbury catchment and community groups, leading successful teams, and recently serving as Campaign Manager for Selwyn Mayor Lydia Gliddon.

She is passionate about empowering people to build resilient, solutions-focused communities. Whether through AgriThrive, local schools, or industry leadership, she champions collaboration, sustainability, and the belief that lasting change starts with people.

Tracey intends to explore “The Third Model,” an approach integrating Indigenous stewardship principles with the operational and economic realities of intensive agriculture to create a sustainable foundation for New Zealand’s future.

Congratulations to the four 2026 Nuffield scholars.

For more information about the Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholarships,
go to https://ruralleaders.co.nz/nuffield

Fresh from their award night, our Nuffield Scholars featured in a RNZ interview, listen here:

FMG and Rural Leaders renew Strategic Partnership.

The New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders) is pleased to announce the renewal of their Strategic Partnership agreement with FMG.

Rural Leaders and Strategic Partner FMG, have renewed their partnership agreement, reinforcing a shared commitment to lifting leadership capability and to building stronger rural communities.

The new agreement formalises the continued alignment of values and support for Rural Leaders’ mission to develop capable industry leaders who, in turn, strengthen the communities they represent.

As a Mutual, FMG takes a long-term view – building long-term connections with rural New Zealand and reinvesting to help build strong and prosperous rural communities. FMG sponsors over 700 local events each year, from smaller lamb and calf days right up to National Field Days, and the FMG Young Farmer of the Year contest.

The renewal of the FMG-Rural Leaders partnership, alongside a long-standing relationship with Rural Leaders’ Programme Partner Farmlands, exemplifies this focus.

”FMG has been supporting farmers and growers for over 120 years now, and we’re committed to supporting the generations to come. It is a privilege to partner with Rural Leaders and support the future of farming in New Zealand Aotearoa. No doubt, our rural leaders will continue to challenge the status quo, team up to pool resources, share knowledge and capability as they have throughout our country’s history,” said Pete Frizzell, Chief Marketing Officer, FMG.

With FMG’s support, Rural Leaders’ programmes will continue to develop confident, skilled leaders equipped to tackle the challenges and opportunities facing their communities, industries, and the Food and Fibre sector.

“The partnership’s impact is evident in the transformative growth of our programme alumni, who consistently demonstrate enhanced leadership ability, show great resilience, and are better equipped to drive change”, said Lisa Rogers, CEO, Rural Leaders.

FMG also fosters leadership development internally, with employees regularly attending the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme.

FMG has been a Strategic Partner of Rural Leaders since the Trust’s formation in 2017.

(Pictured – Pete Frizzell, Chief Marketing Officer at FMG, and Lisa Rogers, CEO Rural Leaders).

MyLead – Supporting stronger leadership in Food and Fibre.

MyLead: Supporting stronger Leadership in Food and Fibre.

A closer look at MyLead’s leadership stage outcomes and the industry stories that bring these to life.

MyLead.co.nz helps individuals at all stages of their leadership journey identify tailored development pathways to support their personal and professional growth.

MyLead marks a step toward a more coordinated and impactful approach to developing our sector’s most important asset – our people.

Research commissioned by Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence and led by Rural Leaders provides a leadership framework. The site brings this framework to life with an ecosystem of leadership programmes along with leadership outcomes by stage, supported by real industry stories.

The outcomes and stories vary depending on both the stage and industry selections users make on the site, making it a personalised experience.

What follows is an opportunity to review all of the leadership outcomes from the framework and their supporting stories.

These have been categorised, as they would be on MyLead, under the three leadership stages: leading self, leading others, leading strategy.

Leading self (team member/team leader)

Those at the Leading Self stage are focused on planning and executing tasks to achieve organisational or team objectives.

Leaders build trust

Relationships are founded on trust. It is also the oxygen that leadership breathes. How leaders behave builds or destroys trust. Without trust, suspicion, misunderstandings, failing relationships, and toxic workplaces quickly follow.

Story from the Sector

Leaders have empathy

To learn and understand others, we must demonstrate empathy. This is the ability to see and understand someone else’s perspective without judging it, or them… Demonstrating a genuine care and empathy for the team was frequently cited as a core attribute of what kaimahi (workers) in the sector wanted from their leaders.

Story from the Sector

Leaders are resilient

As a concept, resilience refers to the ability to endure and absorb the shocks of the world and recover from adversity… The good news is it is a learnable skill. For example, leaders can practice focusing on what they can control, taking charge of their thoughts, and adopting helpful habits.

Story from the Sector

Leaders are curious

Curiosity is a hunger to learn and grow further… The best leaders are not just curious about those things that directly relate to them, but they are also curious about what is happening beyond their immediate environment and how they might be able to adapt ideas from elsewhere.

Story from the Sector

Leaders understand their reputation

As leaders, we need to understand our reputation. Asking for 360-degree feedback can be very useful here (and potentially very confronting). How do other people see us? And does this reflect who we believe we are?

Story from the Sector

Leaders are in tune with their feelings

We lead people when we move them emotionally. So as leaders, we need to understand how emotions work, how they impact our thinking, affect our physical bodies, and how they spread between people.

Story from the Sector

Leaders understand their own drivers and values

As the leader, we are our first team member. So, leading ourselves is our first leadership responsibility. Knowing ourselves is a big ask, because it means exploring what it is that makes us tick—to differentiate between things that give us strength and those that cause grief.

Story from the Sector

Leading others (manager/general manager)

Those at the Leading Others stage bridge strategy and action by organising and systemising for success.

Leaders hold people to account

Leadership involves taking accountability for the behaviours and performance of the team while having the courage to share responsibility and authority with them.

Story from the Sector

Leaders delegate authority

As the leader, we are accountable for the results and wellness of our team. A leader’s accountability cannot be divided or delegated, but our authority and responsibilities can and should be… It takes courage to let go and let others act for us, knowing they may do it differently to us.

Story from the Sector

Leaders make effective decisions

Effective leadership is not a popularity contest. Leadership comes with scars. This is because a leader’s calling is to change-up (or adapt) the game rather than optimise the current game. To change with the times, the sector needs leaders with the courage of their convictions.

Story from the Sector

Leaders invest in people’s growth

As leaders we grow people, and our people grow the Food and Fibre our nation relies on. When we invest in our people, we invest in our business, not least because our people make decisions every day that have a material impact on the purpose or profit of our organisation.

Story from the Sector

Leaders deal with status and power

Leadership roles typically come with status and power which, to the unprepared, can be intoxicating. Leaders who put their own interests first, or who start thinking their elevated position equates to importance, set a rot in action that will ultimately undermine themselves and the results they seek to create.

Story from the Sector

Leaders serve something greater than themselves

Truly leading well is an act of service. Our role as the leader, is to serve the collective, not ourselves… An ethos of service works by unlocking one of leadership’s paradoxes (to lead we must serve). Leaders who serve, harness the reciprocal energy of the collective group or team.

Story from the Sector

Leaders make one-to-one connections

Leaders build a bridge between themselves and other people. To do this, leaders build trust, get alongside their people, and do more than just communicate— they connect. At its best, connecting is akin to creating a sense of family, this is the Māori value of whakawhanaungatanga.

Story from the Sector

Leaders know and understand others

As leaders, in addition to knowing ourselves we need to know others. To know others, we must seek to understand them. The things we seek to learn about ourselves (personality, thinking style, emotions, and resilience) are the same things we need to be curious about in seeking to know others.

Story from the Sector

Leading strategy (executive/director)

Those at the Leading Strategy stage focus on articulating the vision, generating value and creating competitive advantage.

Leaders energise the team

Energy is the wellspring of true leadership. When we are truly leading, the alignment of our whole self with meaningful purpose energises us and others are drawn to it. Finding what energises us and what feels true, is leadership’s X-factor. This is when the magic happens.

Story from the Sector

Leaders connect the team to an organisational purpose

People need to know that what they do matters. Leaders ensure their people understand how their task is important to the bigger picture. People simply want to know why they’re doing a task; this is what makes it meaningful.

Story from the Sector

Leaders create an environment where team members have autonomy over their timing and place of work

Flexible working practices should, as the name says, be flexible. It is unrealistic to think we can apply flexible working practices universally across an organisation. The goal is to apply them where possible. Organisations that embrace flexibility will maximise the pool of talent they can recruit from.

Story from the Sector

Leaders create an environment where team members have the autonomy to determine how best to conduct their tasks

People don’t want to be micromanaged. To give our people more autonomy, we need to focus more on the outputs we want them to achieve, and less on their inputs (methods, hours, and location required to deliver those outputs). In the end, it is as simple as giving people choice.

Story from the Sector

Leaders role model belonging

As leaders, we must create an environment where all our people feel they truly belong. This includes us. If we are brave enough to be authentic, we show our team members that it is safe for them to be authentic too.

Story from the Sector

Leaders create an environment where all team members feel safe to be their full and authentic selves

Leaders create an environment where everyone in their team can bring their whole, authentic, unique self to work and feel truly valued and included.

Story from the Sector

Generate your own leadership development pathway

Visit MyLead.co.nz

Shannon Harnett – Making AI work for you

Shannon is a 2020 Nuffield Scholar, Director and Co-Owner of Rural Accountants and has investments in agriculture, horticulture and aquaculture businesses. In this article Shannon shares her insights into how to make AI work well for you.

Making AI Work for You
The first time I saw ChatGPT in action was in the summer of 2023, at a friend’s house. We asked it to write a poem about accountants. It was hilarious — but underneath the humour, I realised the potential.

Very quickly, AI became my assistant. At first, it fixed grammar and spelling in emails and reports. My writing became sharper, more concise, and easier to read with far less grammar and spelling mistakes! Mark Twain once said, “If I had more time, I would have written less.” With AI, that constraint no longer applies.

The real turning point, though, was when I used AI to turn something messy into something structured and useful. Not “robots taking over the world.” Just getting the AI to ask me questions, one by one, about a project I was working on, then pulling my answers into a clean, usable format.

That’s when it clicked: AI isn’t just a word-smithing assistant. It’s a strategic tool. Used well, it takes work off your plate, sharpens your thinking, and creates scale without the hours of refining.

It Starts with the Question
The biggest lesson? It’s not about having the right answer. It’s about asking the right question.

I now frame prompts like I’m briefing a new hire: clear role, clear context, clear task. For example, as a CEO, I don’t just type, “Help me with strategy.” That’s far too broad. Instead, I say:

“You are my Scaling Up Strategy Assistant. Ask me one question at a time. Start with People, then Strategy, then Execution, then Cash, then Risks & Opportunities. Only show me the full summary once we’ve covered all five areas.”

The result is an interactive interview where AI does the admin while I do the thinking. That’s the power of a good prompt: it forces clarity, and the output is miles better than a vague question ever delivers. And, in truth, learning to prompt AI has made me a better leader — clearer, more structured, and more intentional in what I ask of others.

Small Steps, Big Wins
You don’t need to overhaul your whole business to start. Try it on something small, try it on something creative.

Don’t know what to have for dinner? Take a photo of what’s in the fridge, upload it to AI, and it’ll generate recipes with step-by-step instructions.

It sounds trivial, but it proves the point: AI can sift through messy inputs, structure them, and give you something useful in seconds. In business, the same applies — pulling data from multiple reports, tidying client communications, or drafting meeting notes. These aren’t tasks we can’t do. They’re tasks that chew through time — and AI gives that time back.

The Power of Projects
The real magic happens when you start treating AI as a project partner. I’ve been experimenting with GPT-powered projects that run like structured workflows — guiding me step by step, capturing the right inputs, and producing a clear, consistent output.

Here’s what that looks like:

A marketing project where AI builds a content calendar in my brand voice.
A reporting project where AI pulls numbers from my files and formats them into a tidy monthly pack.
A strategy project where AI interviews me (or my team) and distils the answers into a one-page plan.

You define the outcome, give AI the right resources (files, data, context), set simple rules, and let it guide the process. The result is structure, quality, and momentum — without false starts or bottlenecks.

And once a project is set up, anyone in the team can run it. That means clarity and consistency, whether I’m leading it or handing it over.

AI in the Tools You Already Use
AI isn’t just in chat windows. It’s already creeping into the software you use every day.

Take Microsoft Copilot. It can scan emails and Teams chats, spot an approval request (“Can I go ahead with this?”), and track it. If three days go by without a reply, it nudges the approver and updates the requester.

That alone kills the “lost in the inbox” problem that slows teams down. But it also shines at surfacing related documents inside Microsoft 365 — I’ve saved hours finding what I need.

A New Way of Leading
Here’s the mindset shift: AI isn’t just tactical. It’s strategic.

The sticky note on my desk simply says: “How can AI help me do this?”

Whether I’m writing a report, mapping a process, or planning strategy, I pause and ask where AI could take the load. Most of the time, it’s not about replacing me. It’s about clearing space so I can show up where it really matters — with clients, with strategy, with people.

How to Start Today
If you’re ready to dip your toe in, here’s a simple path:

Pick one task you repeat often (emails, stakeholder lists, client notes).
Write a clear prompt that sets role, context, and task.
Let AI break it into questions and interview you.
Use the output, tweak it, and save the prompt for next time.

Once you’ve got one win, build a small “AI toolkit” for yourself and your team — a set of prompts or projects that anyone can use.

Final Thought
AI won’t magically run your business or your life. But it will tidy the messy bits, speed up the slow bits, and track the bits you’d usually forget.

And when you start treating AI less like a novelty and more like a colleague — one that never gets tired of chasing approvals or formatting tables — you’ll see what I’ve seen: the power to do more, without burning yourself or your team out.

I completed the Spark-funded AI Mini MBA course, and it was one of the best investments of time I’ve made. If you get the opportunity, take it.

Shannon’s 2020 Nuffield report on Kiwifruit PVR’s ‘Getting Plant Varieties Right’ can be viewed here.

Kellogg Rural Scholars Series. Leadership issue.

Supported by our investing partners, the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust is privileged to help grow many of our sector’s capable and purpose-driven leaders.

A key aspect of the Kellogg Programme (and the Nuffield Scholarship) is research based learning. The clarity of thought and confidence the research component of Kellogg promotes can be hugely transformative.

The Kellogg Rural Scholars Series booklets are distillations of this research – each focussing on a selection of reports covering one industry or topic.

Currently, there are five booklets in the series, with this latest issue being ‘Leadership Insights’.

Leadership Insights contains twelve reports spanning the last 7 years.

The reports in ‘Leadership Insights’ cover such topics as: Leadership During a Crisis, Emotional Intelligence, the Qualities and Characteristics of Good Leadership, and the Effect of Good Leadership on Staff Engagement and Retention.

These reports were written by scholars: Jack Dwyer, Jordi Hoult, Cheyenne Wilson, Louis Batley, Brian Henderson, Melisssa King, Henry MacIntosh, Jason Halford, Sophie Malone, Joanna Greaves, Hayden Dunne, Nick de Ridder.

You can view Leadership Insights here.

If you would like to grow as a leader; exploring research into a food and fibre topic of your choosing, apply for 2026 Kellogg Programme One by 19 October.

To learn more head here.

Kerry Worsnop shares Scholarship experience at Nuffield 75th.

Nuffield Farming Scholarships celebrated 75 years in New Zealand last Thursday.

100+ Scholars and their partners gathered for dinner, to hear from an excellent line-up of speakers and of course, chat.

Kate Scott, NZRLT Board Chair (2018 Scholar) opened and spoke on the impact of Nuffield Scholars before introducing host Hon Todd McClay.

Julian Raine (1997 Scholar) and Kerry Worsnop (2023 Scholar), spoke about their Nuffield experiences including some of the challenges overcome and unique opportunities encountered.

You can read Kerry’s speech below.

One of the most important moments of the night was an announcement by the Hopkins family.

John Hopkins,1979 Nuffield Scholar, passed in 2022. John and wife Elaine, gave generously to the Nuffield Programme over the years. This generosity included providing a Scholarship for Ben Anderson, 2021 Nuffield Scholar.

John and Elaine’s son and granddaughter, Andrew and Chelsea Hopkins, attended the dinner. Chelsea announced they would again support a Scholar onto Nuffield.

Here’s an excerpt from Chelsea’s LinkedIn post that echoes her excellent speech on the night:

“… My grandfather, John Hopkins was a 1979 Nuffield Scholar. I have fond memories of him telling me how the scholarship transformed him and the lasting impact it had on his life. I was lucky enough to share his story with the attendees last night and for this I am truly grateful.

To give back to the programme that gave us so much, we are providing a scholarship for 2026 Nuffield Scholars to support the next generation of agricultural leaders.

Being a part of last night’s celebration was super special for Dad and I. It was a reminder that life’s moments, although sometimes small, can have big impacts. This is a night I won’t forget.

A big thank you to Lisa Rogers, Rural Leaders and Kate Scott for the invite and making us feel so welcome.”

Andrew and Chelsea Hopkins are pictured below (image 4).

Images are: 1 – Hon Todd McClay. 2 – Owen Jennings (1980), Craige Mackenzie (2008). Lucy Griffiths (2014) Ben Hancock (2019). 3 – Gavan Herlihy (1985), Nick Tripe (1967), Richard Davison (1986). 4. Andrew and Chelsea Hopkins. 5 – Ian Mackenzie (1993). 6 – Marise James (1998), Don McFarlane (1981). 7 – Hon Damien O’Connor, Allan Richardson (1998). 8 – Don McFarlane, Ronny Percy, Nick Tripe, Elizabeth Davison, Richard Davison. 9 – Hon Denis Marshall (1983), Martin Nelson (1983). Bryn James, Brian Smith.

You can read Kerry Worsnop’s speech from the 75^th Dinner below. It was an excellent speech that may be useful for those considering a Nuffield NZ farming Scholarship in 2026.

Take a read, it gives some great insight into what to expect.

Scholarships are open until 17 August.

Kerry Worsnop, 75th Nuffield dinner speech, Parliament.

I applied for a Nuffield scholarship at one minute to midnight on the night that applications closed in 2022, having pitched it to my husband at about 9.30 that night.

Now because he’s used to me doing random things, Marcus just rolled his eyes, sort of shrugged, told me to do what I wanted and said he was going to bed.

On reflection, had my application not been so last minute, I would likely never have submitted it. The fact that I did set in chain a sequence of events that will forever make 2023 a pivotal year in my life. And that is without accounting for the two cyclones.

That’s another story.

Now for you poor souls who have had two- or maybe five doses of my research, you’ll be pleased to know that I’m not going to ram it down your throats again. But what I am going to do, is give you a little bit of my journey and in it, hopefully you recall some of your own.

I left New Zealand like many of you will have, wondering what in the hell I was doing, feeling overwhelmed with the magnitude of what I was attempting, and amazing that anyone was crazy enough to fund it.

I had no idea how to hustle meetings with foreign dignitaries, executives, scholars and all the others whose knowledge I would need to augment my own.

But like all of you – I would learn.

I learned that every no, was one step closer to a yes. That every connection can yield three more and most remarkably, that my own knowledge would become a form of currency, the medium of exchange valued by those whose own curiosity would draw them into a room with me.

I learned the value of being able to trade in ideas, to appreciate something I can only describe as intellectual alchemy.

My questions took me to Washington, Pennsylvania, Canada, the UK, the Netherlands and others. 11 countries in all.

I stayed in basements, slept in hostels – had one very dodgy experienced accidentally being the only female in a sardine can room with 7 men from all corners of the world.

I missed flights, misplaced luggage and got lost on numerous occasions – but only once did I end up in the wrong city attempting to board the wrong ferry. Naturally – another Nuffielder put me up for night on half-an-hours’ notice, and on I went.

I met people like Guy Peters, the godfather of public policy research who himself had no real reason to meet me – beyond the fact that New Zealand was fascinating to him.

I found myself in incredible situations, an exclusive cocktail party with US senators, meeting the UK’s agriculture minister, in rooms with countless officials, public servants and farmer organisations and farmers themselves.

I marvelled at how many people made time for me and the generosity of spirit that every Nuffielder I met seemed to share.

For the rest of my life I will never forget the two days I spent with Dorothy Fairburn in Yorkshire, or the lengths that Katlyn Cruiskburg went to, to host me in Canada.

Of course no Nuffield would be complete without someone being sick in a suitcase after too many vodka shots (it wasn’t me) and the painful test of everyone’s social endurance that is the GFP program.

It doesn’t matter if you visited Argentina, Ireland, Poland and France as I did, or India, China and Zimbabwe as others have, the universal truth is that our humanity and the land itself connects us.

I applaud Nuffield NZ for ensuring the GFP’s are an integral part of the journey and I maintain the ultimate test of your capacity – is can you still be talking some kind of sense at midnight when your host is still in fine form but you’re on day 26 of your GFP and it’s your turn to be leader, so you can’t go to bed.

And this is where the rubber hits the road. As New Zealand scholars, we have a clear expectation set for us and we understand our role as ambassadors for our country and for this organisation.

I expect that of all the scholars world wide, New Zealanders are the least likely to go to bed when the host still wants to talk, and we are the most likely to ask questions when someone needs to show an interest, even if it’s the 500^th dairy farm visit.

New Zealand Rural Leaders Trust sets the standard and it’s Nuffield program stands alone in offering a truly life changing experience. Much like the Greek myth of Odysseus, once we have wondered the word in search of answers we can not help but return changed.

In accepting a New Zealand Nuffield scholarship you agree to explore parts of the word, and parts of yourself that you may never have reached alone.

In return Nuffield in this country defends the space for your conclusions. They did this for me, and likely, for most of you.

I can not emphasise enough the value in this.

Not every country offers this. I spent time with scholars agonising over the fact that their conclusion were increasingly at odds with the business model of their sponsor, I spent time with others for whom getting the sponsorship itself predetermined their research topic.

In New Zealand our most curious minds are entirely free to search the world for answers and when they return, they are free to speak whatever truth they find.

This is exceptionally rare in a world where research funding is thin and increasingly political and where commercial interests often guard the doors.

Our sponsors deserve great recognition and immense gratitude for their willingness to support such impartiality, which no doubt at times may have been at odds their own interests.

So my message to all those who deliver this program and to those who support it, you have created something precious and rare, and this country is ultimately the better for it.

Thank you.

Alumni in the Spotlight – Marise James, Amber Carpenter, Iain Inglis, and more.

Here are just a few of the media pieces covering the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the sector.

Marise James, 1998 Nuffield Scholar

This is one we missed. Former Fonterra director Marise James told Dairy News that the future of the dairy industry depends upon the direction of travel with respect to climate change.

Marise says, “Farming has always been the backbone of the New Zealand economy, seeing us through really tough times and creating a place in the world that recognises the value of high-quality food, fibre and health production.”

Read the article here.

Carlos Bagrie, 2024 Nuffield Scholar

Carlos was in Farmers Weekly a couple of weeks ago encouraging a national conversation on what other options NZ’s economy may have to enjoy stronger economic growth.

Talking to Farmers Weekly, Carlos said, “Our growth in agriculture is pretty much looking to be more linear than exponential heading into the future. It is not that there are not gains still to be made, it’s just those gains are more seconds than minutes in terms of performance lift.”

Read the article here.

Iain Inglis, 2024 Kellogg Scholar

CountryWide spoke to Iain Inglis, about his Kellogg research report ‘Better cattle handling: For people, product and perception’.

Iain covers off three opportunities that come from Low stress handling – improved operational efficiency, enhanced meat quality, and a safer working environment for handlers.

Read the article here.

Sarah How, 2019 Kellogg Scholar

Sarah How was featured recently in Alumni in the Spotlight, but we missed this article in Sheperdess. Sarah is the co-founder of Landify, a platform which connects farmers with potential partners and investors to explore collaborative opportunities in farming.

The April article talks about her background, the Landify story, and on being a finalist for the 2025 Zanda McDonald Award.

Read the article here.

Amber Carpenter, 2018 Kellogg Scholar

Amber featured on page 92 of the latest NZ dairy magazine. Amber and her husband Fraser, have recently purchased a digital marketing business to sit alongside Grass Roots Media, also owned by the couple.

Take a read of Amber’s story here.

Kellogg Programme One 2025 (K53) graduate.

Congratulations Programme One 2025. 18-inperson days in Lincoln and in Wellington, one research report, one presentation of said research report, tens of insights sessions from industry leaders, workshops, reflections, at least 22 new friendships, and much more.

This graduation marked the completion of the research component of Kellogg. Scholars presented their work to the cohort throughout their phase three. Their reports will be made available on the Rural Leaders’ site in the next two weeks.

The graduation ceremony was held in Lincoln University’s Memorial Hall. Thank you to Lincoln University (NZ) for the use of this incredible space.

Lisa Rogers, Rural Leaders CEO got the graduation ceremony started, introducing new Rural Leaders Associate Trustee, Katie Rodwell (2019 Scholar).

Katie spoke to the graduates about the transformation the programme had created for her. Katie discussed the critical thinking skills, networks and connection that are developed on Kellogg, and encouraged the group to stay connected and to lean into any opportunities for growth.

This cohort’s reports will be shared with investing partners for a first preview, then more widely soon after.

As a heads-up, scholars and their report topics (under broad theme headings) are as follows:

Environmental management in agriculture.

Adam Williamson
Water quality in the Amuri basin – where are we at?

Jodie Goudswaard
Balancing profit and environment: Insights from New Zealand’s leading dairy farms.

Cameron Walker
Enhancing on-farm carbon stocks.

Jess Ross
Softer Crop Protection, The Way of The Future?

The business of agriculture and horticulture.

Michele Cranefield
From Seed to Success – Transitioning Farm Ownership in New Zealand – The Ownership Equation: Exiting with Value, Entering with Vision.

Emma Harvey
Opportunities within New Zealand agri-tourism.

Kurt Harmer
Dairy diversification into raw and pasteurised milk sales.

Pare Taikato
The opportunity cost to New Zealand of under-developed whenua Māori.

Malinda Wynyard
Building diversity in New Zealand dairy export markets for independent manufacturers.

Grant Kay
Dairy farmers love sharing data…but there is a ‘but’.

Sam Connor
Partnerships within the food and fibre sector: do they return value to the farm gate?

Kaitlin Bates
Smart Nutrition, Stronger Herds: A Holistic Approach to NZ Dairy Excellence.

Matt Ward
How can we maximise profitability in our decreasing ewe flock?

Daniel Judd
The soils gap: Interactions between culture, research and fertiliser.

Developing our people and communities.

Emma Weston
Career satisfaction and job retention for front line vets in government roles.

Katrina Roberts
Dairy farmer-female veterinary advisor relationships in New Zealand: Identifying the key attributes of a flourishing partnership.

Morgan Jones
How do we develop financial literacy in rural New Zealand?

Michele Findaly
What factors enable trusted, high value relationships between rural managers and clients in New Zealand’s food and fibre sector?

Jack Dwyer
Leadership qualities needed for first time managers.

Richie Cameron
How can the sheep and beef industry retain farm managers without ownership opportunities?

Anthea Yule
Does the decline in school bus services highlight more significant issues affecting rural primary education?

Phil Holland
Guardians or executioners: Navigating the ethics of deer control.

Jack Cocks signs off on a year as the NZRLT Associate Trustee.

Jack Cocks has just finished a one year term as Associate Trustee for the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders).

Jack is a high country farmer who holds a bachelor’s degree in farm management from Lincoln University and a masters in agricultural economics from the University of Illinois. He is as much at home in the city as he is in the Otago high country running Mt. Nicholas Station with his wife and children.

Jack suffered a life-threatening brain aneurysm twelve years ago which saw him spend eight months in hospital over six years and undergo fifteen major surgeries.

Following this experience he researched how ‘Resilient Farmers Thrive in the Face of Adversity’ through the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme. He is now a well-respected speaker on farmer resilience.

Early in 2024 Jack joined the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders) as an Associate Trustee to learn more about governance from the Trust’s experienced board.

“I enjoyed learning from the other trustees. They all had different skill areas and very smart perspectives too. Being part of a team was also an appealing thing to me. The frequent events, such as the Kellogg networking event in Wellington, were great too.”

Mt. Nicholas is remote, so Jack cites the board interactions, both online and in-person, as being another important draw. “You’re not in an immediate community here at Mt. Nicholas. You’re not going to the local field days, meetings or functions that often. So, keeping involved with board matters was enjoyable,” says Jack.

Jack’s plan is to now shift his focus closer to home, on family and the business.

“Our kids are going through high school, they’re both week-day boarding in Invercargill, two and a half hours away. It’s a reasonable commitment to head up and down the road every week.

I’m still doing one or two speaker engagements a month. I’m able to give back a bit to the sector and the community, and a lot of that has spun out of my Kellogg,” adds Jack.

Jack plans to continue his governance journey once his children leave school. He acknowledges the strong foundation the year as an Associate Trustee has given him and he mentions some advice he was given before he went into the role.

“Some advice I got from a wise director before joining Rural Leaders as Associate Trustee, was to look at the one year term in three parts. The first part is asking plenty of questions. The second part is establishing credentials. The final part is adding some value.

I didn’t throw any ideas around for a start, but tried to understand the business. Then I established myself in that second part and looked for ways to add value in that last part. Some of the work that Lisa Rogers and I were doing towards the end with the Value Chain Innovation Programme; like looking at an offshore component for it, fits into that.

That’s how I approached the one year, and I found that advice really useful. It reassured me that I didn’t need to go in guns blazing,” says Jack.

Kate Scott, Rural Leaders Board Chair, spoke of Jack’s measured and intelligent approach to his time as Associate Trustee, “The knowledge Jack has passed on, especially around farmer resilience, has been invaluable. Jack’s calm, clear and curious nature make him a standout as he continues his governance journey.”

Katie Rodwell recently joined as the new Associate Trustee, marking the end of Jack’s year.

“It was a tremendous opportunity. I thank the board and the Rural Leaders’ team for their openness and inclusiveness. I really felt comfortable and that I could contribute to make a difference,” concludes Jack.

FMG Young Farmer of the Year winner to attend the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme.

Hugh Jackson, a Waikato Bay of Plenty Young Farmer, has won the title of New Zealand’s top young farmer.

Hugh is a 26-year-old sheep and beef farmer and was crowned the 57^th FMG Young Farmer of the year at the Grand Final event in Invercargill on 5 July.

Working on his family’s farm north of Raglan, Jackson also has an interest in technology, and a passion for mental health.

Jackson believes technology will play a big role in shaping in the future of farming, as well as in the lives of the young people who will be using it.

The New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (Rural Leaders), in partnership with Lincoln University, sponsor the FMG Young Farmer of the Year winner on a place to attend the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme. Rural Leaders and the University have been doing this for several years.

Rural Leaders CEO, Lisa Rogers said it was a close finish but Hugh’s determination shone through, and added, “We look forward to seeing Hugh on the Kellogg Programme soon. It was a privilege to attend the Grand Final and see first-hand, the depth of talent we have coming through New Zealand Young Farmers.”

New Zealand Young Farmers chief executive Cheyne Gillooly in a Young Farmers article said Jackson impressed everyone with his talent. “…It’s inspiring to see the recognition go to someone who will not only be a strong ambassador for the next generation of young farmers, but across the agricultural industry.”

Source: https://www.youngfarmers.co.nz/news/hugh-jackson-crowned-2025-fmg-young-farmer-of-the-year

Katie Rodwell joins NZRLT as Associate Trustee.

The NZRLT Board and Leadership Team welcomed Katie Rodwell, Associate Trustee, to the NZRLT Board in May.

Katie replaces outgoing Jack Cocks. We’ll share more on Jack and his time with the NZRLT board soon.

Katie has recently returned to work after being on maternity leave for a year. She is looking forward to getting into the year and the new governance opportunity that being selected as Associate Trustee represents.

Rural Leaders caught up with Katie on her third week back at Rabobank to discuss her background and why she went for this governance role.

Katie, her husband, Luc and son Paddy, live in North Canterbury, just on the outskirts of Amberley. They have been on their six hectare block just over a year and a half.

Katie grew up on a farm north of Kaikoura; a farm that sold just before the Kaikoura earthquakes. Since then Katie has been Canterbury-based for most of her life. She attended Lincoln University and after graduating went to Farmlands Cooperative, where she worked for eight years as both Brand Manager and Marketing Manager.

This was followed by a move into the Head of Sustainability and Land Use role. Then to Rabobank as Sustainability Manager where she has been for three years, two of which were working – one on maternity leave.

Katie completed the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme in 2019 as part of cohort 40. Her Kellogg research looked at the consumer-driven and environmental challenges the primary industries face. Her report proposed New Zealand lead in nutrient-dense, sustainable food, using innovation, education, and collaboration to reshape agriculture and meet rising health-focused demand.

It was the Kellogg experience that underscored her decision to join the Rural Leaders’ Board. “It was a really transformative experience for me, and I wanted to give back to the organisation that had helped me so much”, Says Katie.

The opportunity to work with and learn from Rural Leaders’ experienced board members, Katie cites as one of the other standout reasons for her decision.

“I also relate strongly to the vision of Rural Leaders – around growing our leaders and the importance of developing leaders in our sector. I want to help drive impactful change so, I see Rural Leaders and the programmes and projects they undertake as being a powerful tool to help achieve that.

My passion is around how we create thriving, resilient farming businesses, and I see that having good leaders is fundamental to achieving that”, concludes Katie.

On the appointment, Kate Scott, NZRLT Board Chair said, “We’re pleased to have Katie join the NZRLT Board as Associate Trustee. Katie brings a range of skills but most of all a demonstrated passion for leadership development in food and fibre.”

Katie’s first official board meeting as Associate Trustee will be this month (July).

Pulse Check. A Rural Leaders and PwC collaboration.

Rural Leaders, in partnership with PwC New Zealand, have piloted a new concept: the Future Food and Fibre Leaders Pulse Check. It’s a snapshot of what’s top of mind for the latest Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme cohort, captured through a workshop facilitated by PwC and Rural Leaders earlier this year.

What do the next generation of food and fibre leaders believe we need to act on right now?

The result? Five clear, practical messages for today’s leaders—touching on:

Harnessing tech in a producer-centric way
Balancing productivity with sustainable resource use
Strengthening confidence through regulatory certainty
Building our global reputation
Investing in people through better systems and storytelling

👉 Download the Pulse Check here.

This is the first time we’ve run this kind of initiative—and we’d love to hear your thoughts. Is this useful? What could make it better? What other voices should we bring to the table?

Please get in touch with Lisa Rogers at Rural Leaders if you would like to discuss.

Thank you to PwC, our Strategic and Programme Partners for their ongoing support of the Kellogg Programme and our shared mission to grow leadership in the food and fibre sector.

Alumni in the Spotlight – Blake Irving, Jenna Smith, John Foley.

Here are just a few of the media mentions that cover the impact of Rural Leaders’ Programme Alumni in industries and communities across the food and fibre sector.

Blake Irving, 2022 Kellogg Scholar

After five years with Comvita Limited, and 8 years in the apiculture & honey industries, Blake to a new opportunity leading Clelands Timber Products , learning all things timber and manufacturing, and contributing further to its 100+ years of success.

Congratulations Blake.

Jenna Smith, 2024 Nuffield Scholar

Jenna Smith’s research into peatlands was covered last week in an informative article by Farmers Weekly.

Jenna’s Nuffield research focuses on opportunities for improved environmental and production outcomes for peat country.

Jenna is CEO for Māori-owned Pourarua based on Hauraki Plains. Pourarua has interests in dairy, arable, beef and horticultural enterprises.

Read the article here (you can access Jenna’s Nuffield report here too).

John Foley, 2021 Nuffield Scholar

In an article for Farmers Weekly’s regular column ‘Eating the Elephant’, John Foley writes on the impact family farms have played in shaping Aotearoa New Zealand.

You can read the article here.

Kellogg offers two qualifications.

Just over a week ago, many alumni of the 52nd Kellogg cohort graduated with Post Graduate Certificates.

Credentialisation of the Kellogg Programme through Rural Leaders’ academic partners Lincoln University means Kellogg graduates can gain the Post Graduate Certificate in Commerce as well.

The next opportunity to do this for yourself will be on Kellogg Programme One, 2026 (late January start). Early applications are welcome. Head here for more information.

Congratulations to these double qualification recipients.

Congratulations to the following PG Cert graduates from cohort 52 Nick Martin, Megan Fox, Cheyenne Wilson, Richard Pentreath, James Prunty, Hamish Symons, Kendal Buchanan, Jordi Hoult, Laura Deeming, Iain Inglis, Whitney Conder, Ben Aiken, Oliver Hampson, Kate Kellick, Hamish Hodgson, Anita Fleming.

And also graduating were Wyatt Johnston, Lisa Lunn and Allan Dunn from the 51st cohort.

Image comes courtesy of Lincoln University.

Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme cohort 52 (Programme Two 2024)

Threads of influence. A Champion of rural leadership development.

For the last eight years Dr Scott Champion has been a key figure in the development of leaders in food and fibre. He has made a direct impression on over 300 leaders on the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme and many more through Nuffield, Engage and the HortNZ Leadership Programme.

Scott’s deep sector-wide knowledge, delivery style, ability to deftly weave discussion threads, and tease out insights, has made him one of the sector’s most in-demand facilitators.

As Scott leaves his role with Rural Leaders for a new challenge at Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), we thought we’d take a look at his career so far – one chaptered by key sector roles, research, and developing food and fibre’s leaders.

Foundations in agriculture.

Dr Scott Champion’s journey into agriculture didn’t start in the heartland of rural New Zealand. The story is no less compelling. Raised in Sydney, Scott was drawn to the land from a young age. Family connections to farming in New South Wales sparked an early fascination in the potential of agriculture to sustain humanity in exciting new ways.

His entry into agriculture came at an open day at the University of New South Wales. Scott came across a programme in wool and animal science. He enrolled in the degree, and this soon led to a deep scientific interest, particularly in the relationship between animal nutrition and wool quality. This path took him on to a PhD, which he completed partly in Sydney and partly in Tasmania.

After completing his doctoral studies, Scott moved into teaching and research in animal science at the University of Tasmania. Then in 2001, a new opportunity arose: a product development and research role with the New Zealand Merino Company.

Scott on-farm with a recent Engage Programme cohort.

Science and innovation.

At this time, the New Zealand Merino Company had challenged the long-standing wool auction system, which traditionally kept growers disconnected from brands and consumers. Instead, the company fostered an attribute-based, contract-led supply chain model. The partnership with Icebreaker, one of the company’s earliest and most well-known collaborators, illustrated this shift well. By building direct links between growers and end-users, the New Zealand Merino Company helped brands create compelling product stories while giving growers visibility and value beyond auction prices.

Scott’s science background played a pivotal role in telling the story of Merino wool in new and practical ways. He worked alongside the commercial wool team to deliver training and develop retailer experiences that showcased the performance benefits of Merino, such as moisture absorption and fire resistance, often through live demonstrations. These tactile, science-backed experiences helped redefine how retailers and consumers perceived wool, especially internationally, where traditional wool was often associated with scratchiness and discomfort.

“We thought of ourselves as being an ingredient brand that could sit inside retail brands. So the purpose was not to create a retail brand in its own right around New Zealand Merino, but to create an attribute, an origin story that functioned as an ingredient brand,” says Scott.

the New Zealand Merino Company’s approach, Scott notes, wasn’t just commercial, it was transformational. The company positioned Merino not just as a material, but as an important performance attribute. This shift, from commodity to value-added story, inspired similar approaches across the food and fibre sector.

The CEO.

Scott’s next move was to Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), initially as General Manager of Market Access and Services. The position brought together technical policy, trade access, animal welfare, and red meat promotion; areas that spanned local and international impact. Scott worked on initiatives such as the Five Nations Beef Alliance (which later expanded to seven countries), focusing on improving global trade outcomes for beef.

Later, Scott was appointed CEO of B+LNZ and concurrently led the New Zealand Meat Board, where in addition to strategic oversight, he was responsible for managing farmer reserves and quota access for red meat exports to the US and EU.

Following his tenure at B+LNZ, Scott explored a new direction, founding the consultancy Primary Purpose with a business partner. The consultancy would offer strategic advice and social research across food, agriculture, and natural resources.

Growing rural leaders.

Around this time, Scott’s relationship with the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme deepened. Having previously been a regular industry speaker on Kellogg, he took on the role of Programmes Director and lead facilitator.

Speaking to Kellogg participants, Scott emphasises leadership is not about titles or standing at the front of the room telling others what to do, it’s more about being in the middle, understanding context, and drawing on lived experience. One of the programme’s unique strengths, he says, is its ability to give people confidence, regardless of their academic background. Participants, some without tertiary education, emerge from the programme with a deeper sense of self and purpose, and an understanding of the broader food and fivre industry.

Kellogg also offers access to influential speakers and one-on-one conversations with senior leaders across government and industry. For many participants, it’s a rare chance to see high-level leadership up close and to realise that those in senior roles are human, facing many of the same challenges anyone else does.

“The convening power of the programme is often underestimated. People are always willing to talk to our Kellogg cohorts. These are people who would have lots of things that they can potentially do in that time slot. I think that’s a mark of Kellogg’s standing”, says Scott.

The long-term impact of Kellogg is increasingly evident, with alumni populating boards, advisory groups, and sector leadership roles. The programme, nearing its 50th year, continues to be a vital part of New Zealand’s rural leadership pipeline.

“As the sector becomes more complex, the need for good leaders who understand context is significant. Not just the narrow technical nature of many of the roles that we all operate in, but that they truly understand the wider context in which they’re operating. I think that’s a key benefit of Kellogg – it’s what makes it so unique”, says Scott.

Scott with Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme cohort 52 (Programme Two 2024)

More to do.

Looking ahead, Scott is set to take on a new challenge. In July, he begins as CEO of the Foundation for Arable Research (FAR), working alongside current CEO, and friend of Kellogg, Dr Allison Stewart through June. FAR is widely respected for its research and extension services in the arable sector, and Scott is looking forward to contributing further.

Meanwhile, Primary Purpose, will continue under the leadership of the partners. The business remains committed to supporting clients with insight-driven strategy and research, helping organisations navigate the complex landscape of agriculture and food production.

From animal science to strategic leadership, Scott Champion’s career has so far been marked by curiosity, innovation, and a desire to give back. His impact has rippled through the primary industries in both Australia and here in New Zealand.

“When done well, applying good leadership can have a hugely exponential impact on the wellbeing and performance of people, teams, communities, industries and on a country. It’s been a privilege to have played a role in developing leaders through Rural Leaders’ Kellogg Programme and I look forward to coming full-circle and returning as a speaker”, adds Scott.

Over the last 8 years, Scott has been an integral part of not only the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme but Rural Leaders as a whole.

“Scott has brought wisdom, insight and encouragement to all that have attended our Kellogg and Engage programmes. It has always been satisfying to watch the personal confidence and clarity of thought shine through programme participants as Scott guided them through their Kellogg journey. While we are sorry to see Scott move on, we are delighted for him and his new role at FAR”, concludes Lisa Rogers, CEO Rural Leaders.

MyLead.co.nz is live.

Listen to our podcasts focused on discussion of the Food & Fibre CoVE Report and the MyLead platform.

MyLead.co.nz has been live for nearly a month with an invitation to feedback on user experiences. We’ve incorporated much of this feedback and from late May 2025, the site will feature the resulting enhancements.

Aligned to the NZ Rural Leadership Trust’s (Rural Leaders) purpose to grow world-class leaders for our country, MyLead helps to identify development pathways for people at all stages of their leadership journey.

This site is just one outcome of research conducted by Rural Leaders and commissioned by Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (CoVE) and the site draws down information from this research relevant to each user.

MyLead allows a user of the site to generate a leadership development pathway based on two data inputs, ‘current leadership stage’ and ‘industry’.

Along with this pathway, MyLead gives actionable outcomes from the research’s latest Leadership Pathways Report https://ruralleaders.co.nz/realising-leadership-potential-in-new-zealands-food-and-fibre-sector/ with practical examples people can implement into practice immediately.

It’s really a starting point for anyone taking the lead on their, or their team’s, leadership development.

We have been gathering user experience feedback and incorporating this into the site, before the formal launch in late May.

“If our sector is to grow stronger it must nurture a sustained flow of capable and self-aware leaders that are continuously developing themselves and the teams they work with”, said Lisa Rogers, Rural Leaders CEO.

It is our hope that MyLead will help nurture our people and play a role in building an ever more vital and vibrant food and fibre sector into the future. We’ll continue to update and improve the site for the medium term, before offering programme partners to opportunity to login and manage their own programme(s) content.

A big thank you to all of the MyLead participating programme partners: NZ Young Farmers, AWDT, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, Business Torque Systems Ltd., University of Canterbury, DairyNZ, Dairy Training Ltd., Lead With Virtue, Mayfield Group, NZIPIM (NZ Institute of Primary Industry Management), Rural Coach, Rabobank New Zealand, HALO Training, Rural Leaders, STAMP, The University of Waikato, Horticulture New Zealand, Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited, Livestock Improvement Corporation (LIC), Activating Potential, FoodHQ, Silver Fern Farms Ltd.

Feedback to mylead@ruralleaders.co.nz

The Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme has been developing leaders for the rural and agri-food sector since 1979.

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