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Rural Leaders News

Help us grow Nuffield – 2024 and beyond.

Nuffield Scholars belong to a unique, vibrant, and strong community that continues to create positive change in our Food and Fibre Sector and country.

Increasingly there will be a need for leaders here in New Zealand who have an ability to think critically, who can generate insight and who have a global perspective.

So, tell us about the talented people you know in your industry or region you think have the potential to grow further as a leader. Or suggest they apply.

If you do have someone in mind, they don’t have to be ready to apply for a Scholarship in 2024, but they should be the people you think have the potential to be a Nuffield Scholar at some point in the future.

Tell us about them, so we can tell them about Nuffield. You can email us at nuffield@ruralleaders.co.nz or quickly fill out a form here.

If the talented person you have in mind is you, even better.
Nuffield and a healthy dose of self-confidence are a good fit. Register your interest today to receive an application form and to keep up to date on the programme.

Register your interest now.

The state of leadership development in New Zealand’s Food and Fibre Sector. 

In August 2022, The Food and Fibre Centre of Vocational Excellence (FFCoVE) requested the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust conduct research into the current state of leader development in the Food and Fibre sector. 

Click on the image to access the report.

The Food and Fibre sector includes the primary production industries (other than mining) and the related processing industries. It also includes service industries along the value chain from producer to final consumer, including providers of transport, storage, distribution, marketing, and sales.  

Working with sector stakeholders, the project will collaboratively define, design and develop an integrated approach tailored to Food and Fibre to help establish leadership development pathways for our people to grow and succeed. 

Interviews have and continue to be conducted, along with focus groups. The research rigour ensures perspectives are fully understood from across the span, strata, and demography of the sector.  

Interviews have also been conducted with United Kingdom and Australian counterparts, and conversations with selected individuals outside of the sector. Most of the interviews were with people in senior roles.  

The first report is now complete. It delivers findings on the state of leadership development in our Food and Fibre sector. The report suggests six principles of leadership that are relevant to the sector. 

You can read the full report at the link at the top of this article.

The second phase of the research will seek wider perspectives. To achieve this the research team will run several focus groups during March and April.  

We’ll keep you posted on the research as it progresses.

Olivia Weatherburn joins NZRLT Board as Associate Trustee. 

Olivia Weatherburn
Olivia Weatherburn

The NZRLT Board and Leadership Team are pleased to announce Olivia Weatherburn’s (Nee Ross) appointment as Associate Trustee. Olivia replaces Albert ‘Alby’ Hanson. We’ll share more on Alby’s positive and valuable contribution to the board in next month’s Rural Leader. 

Olivia joins Kate Scott, Chair, Michael Tayler, Rebecca Hyde and Craig Mckenzie, Trustees, and Hamish Fraser, Independent Trustee.  

In the appointment Kate Scott said, “We’re pleased to welcome Olivia to the NZRLT board. Olivia will bring a deep connection to the sector and a passion for the development of people.” 

Olivia is based in Southland living on a 700ha sheep and beef operation supporting her husband. 

“I am a farmer, rural professional and all-round advocate for the rural sector and its people. I see the opportunities as endless and am honoured and excited to be part of the red meat and wider food and fibre sector.” 

“Throughout my community roles with both New Zealand Young Farmers, Lions International, and day-to-day role at Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ), I meet many people who have been positively impacted by the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust and the programmes they deliver.”  

“I see the confidence and drive it gives our future leaders. In 2017 I was also privileged to complete the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme and the outcomes from the experience and learnings have and continue to open doors for me”, says Olivia. 

An Associate Trustee role is for one year. It offers valuable governance in practice experience to those appointed, while providing the opportunity to contribute to the Board’s objectives and to the wider sector in a meaningful way. 

Olivia’s first official board meeting will be 19 April. 

Rural Leaders Agribusiness Summit: One day, 12+ speakers, and a Town Hall full of Food and Fibre leaders.

With the Summit less than a month away now, registrations are strong, and the speakers, host, panellists and organising team, are set to deliver a stand out day for our sector.

On Monday, 27 March, The Christchurch Town Hall will see food and fibre leaders, agribusiness professionals and growers from all over New Zealand, get together with international agriculture delegates and speakers.

Here’s a summary of the day, which includes a couple of new speakers since the last update.

Welcome Scene Setting

Snapshotting the imperative for change and the opportunities landscape – supercharging the discussions to come.

Devry Boughner Vorwerk CEO, DevryBV Sustainable Strategies

Embracing change while balancing shareholder and stakeholder expectations. To set the scene for the day, Devry’s Keynote piece ‘Getting grounded in the humanverse’, will outline the mechanisms to succeed where geopolitical volatility, climate change, and societal expectations are putting pressure on traditional business models.

Our World: Our Natural Environment (10am-11:45am)

Speakers: Tom Sturgess, Volker Knutzsch, Karin Stark, Harry Clark.

Exploring leadership and innovation in the advancement and restoration of the natural resources critical to the future of agribusiness.

This stream will showcase champions nurturing and restoring our environment while remaining profitable, and early adopters building their business toward a carbon neutral future. It will also provide an oversight of the role of the public sector in delving outcomes for the natural environment, while touching on how NZ is shaping its future in the agriculture, food and fibre sector.

Our People: Consumer Trends & Trade (12:45pm – 2:30pm)

Speakers: Vangelis Vitalis, Lain Jager, Emma Parsons, Mark Foote, Anna Benny.

Businesses responding to the unstoppable international trends of power shifting to the consumer, business models being challenged, and the eastern movement of the world’s economic centre of gravity.

Our Future: Entrepreneurship & Leadership (3pm – 4:30pm)

Speakers: Julia Jones, Marl McLeod-Smith, Dr Ellen Joan Nelson, Angus Brown.

Concentrating on the future social, economic, and environmental wellbeing of agribusiness.

This stream will traverse the areas where value will be derived in generations to come, showcasing world-leading business exemplars and responsive new business models.

Presenters from a wide range of industries will show how economic viability will be the key to family business succession and intergenerational business value growth.

Consolidation and Wrap Up

A consolidation of discussions and a focus on the key takeaways and action commitments. Presented by panel and interviews from Corin Dann, Master of Ceremonies.

Learnings of agri-food and consumer businesses front footing the challenges of changing demographics, food trends and fads, and changes in consumer values.

To secure your seat for the Summit today, head to
https://ruralleaders.co.nz/rural-leaders-international-summit-day/

Forefront - Rural Leaders Agribusiness Summit

Changes at the helm of the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust.

New Zealand rural Leadership team 2022
New Zealand rural Leadership team 2022
From left: Matt Hampton, Lisa Rogers, Hon Damien O'Connor, Annie Chant, Chris Parsons

Chris Parsons, CEO Rural Leaders has resigned after three years leading the Trust. Chris will take up a role with MyFarm Investments in May, where he will work closely with former NZRLT Chair and MyFarm CEO, Andrew Watters.

Under Chris’s leadership, characterised by strong purpose and gentle (but persuasive) direction, Rural Leaders has enjoyed a busy, effective and stimulating period of achievement.

“Chris’s contribution to NZRLT has been significant and impactful. Chris has helped to shape our purpose and contribute to growing world class leaders for New Zealand.

Under his leadership we have navigated many trying circumstances, including a global pandemic, but have emerged with a clear understanding of the needs of future leaders,” said Kate Scott, NZRLT Chair.

Here are some of the successes Chris has generated over the last three years. We have grouped these across four key areas: Programme Innovations, Projects, Presence and Partnerships, and Thought Leadership.

Programme Innovations

  • Kellogg PG Cert through Lincoln and RPL through Massey and Lincoln (96% uptake and 63 PG Certs awarded in the first 18 months).
  • Value Chain Innovation Programme, with Lincoln – to increase the entrepreneurial capabilities within the sector and to extend NZ Rural Leader’s impact.
  • undaunted by Covid, NZRLT actually increased the number of Kellogg Scholars and ran two regionally located programmes to increase the rural leadership bench in our regions.
  • Introduced geopolitics into Kellogg to better equip Scholars for a changing global environment.
  • Revitalised the Nuffield Scholarship, including a full review of the selection criteria.

Projects

  • Mackenzie Study, a world-class longitudinal study on the impact on NZ made by Nuffield and Kellogg Scholars over the last 72 years.
  • High-Performance Study with Lincoln University on behalf of MPI
  • Commissioned by the Food and Fibre CoVE to complete a major body of work to design an ecosystem for leadership development in NZ Food and Fibre Sector.

Presence and Partnerships

  • MoU with Massey, Lincoln and AGMARDT
    finalists in the inaugural B+LNZ & Rabobank people development awards.
  • Forged a relationship with the Australian Rural Leadership Foundation.
  • Built a closer working relationship with AWDT
    developed several regional partnerships (Whangarei A&P, Whanganui and Partners) to promote regional leadership growth.

Promote Thought Leadership

  • Established the Ideas that Grow podcast, hosted by AgriHQ to promote the thought leadership of our Scholars.
  • Established the Kellogg Insights Series that takes gives a thematic summary of Kellogg reports (eg Horticulture, dairy, Māori Agri business).
  • Upgraded the website and lifted the report quality to make Scholars thought leadership more accessible.

The Rural Leaders Team continue to build on many of these achievements. Chris, the NZRLT Board and leadership team have set into motion several initiatives set to generate further positive outcomes in the near future.

On the strong foundations Chris has helped set, we will continue to deliver outstanding leadership for the sector and look forward continuing to work alongside Chris in his new role,” added Kate Scott, NZRLT Chair.

Kellogg Rural Scholars Series: Horticultural Insights

Kellogg Rural Scholars Series: Horticultural Insights
Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme | Scholars Reports Series | Horticulture

New Zealand’s food and fibre sector is full of capable and purpose driven people. Supported by Horticulture New Zealand and an incredible group of
Partners, the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust is privileged to be entrusted with growing many of these people in their leadership journey.

A key aspect of the rural leadership approach is research-based scholarship. The clarity of thought and confidence this approach promotes is transformative.

Many Kellogg and Nuffield Scholars go on to live their research. They build businesses. They advance community and social enterprises. They influence
policy and they advocate for animal and environmental outcomes, informed by an ability for critical analysis and their own research-fuelled passion.

The relevance of research by emerging strategic leaders – with their sleeves rolled up – is no more apparent than it is in New Zealand’s Horticulture Sector.

In the following pages we are delighted to précis 14 horticultural research reports by Kellogg Scholars. The full reports can be found at
https://ruralleaders.co.nz/kellogg-our-insights/

The reports traverse topics as wide and timely as horticultural futures, social impacts on Iwi, the potential for impact investing, technical production and
profitability topics.

Ngā mihi,  
Chris Parsons

and the NZ Rural Leaders Team 

Download report

Download and read the full report here:

Kellogg Rural Scholars Series: Horticultural Insights

More issues from the seriess

Kellogg Rural Scholars Series: Horticultural Insights

Kellogg Rural Scholars Series: Horticultural Insights

Read More →

Kellogg Rural Scholar Series: ‘Dairy Insights’.

Read More →

Kellogg Phase One, Lincoln.

Today, 2023’s Programme One will complete their nine-day (eight-night) residential Phase One module, at Lincoln University.  

Phase One is referred to as ‘Leadership tools and industry contexts’. For those planning to participate in Programme Two (June start), the following summary breaks down what to expect:

  1.  Leadership skills and tools including personal and team styles and outcomes, design thinking and approaches, critical analysis tools. 
  2. Leadership applications of skills and tools in various situational contexts. 
  3. Leadership strategic contexts with specific focus on New Zealand Food and Fibre Sector strategies and leadership challenges. 

Some of the topics covered are:

  • The development of presentation skills, leadership skills, critical and design thinking and research skills. 
  • Break out meetings to discuss your project topic with the Academic Director. 
  • A team building day. 
  • A sector overview and strategic insights on governance, Maori agriculture, and rural communities. 
  • Panel discussions with Kellogg Alumni and a networking function. 

Key dates for the next intake – Kellogg Programme Two, Lincoln (13 June – 30 November).

Programme Two (K50), will mark fifty Kellogg cohorts since 1979. 

Applications for Programme Two, 2023 are currently open and will close on Sunday, 16 April 2023.

You can register your interest and access the Kellogg brochure below or apply at https://ruralleaders.co.nz/application-kellogg/. We encourage you to get your application in early. 

Phase One (Lincoln):  Tuesday 13 June – Wednesday 21 June 2023. 
Phase Two (Wellington): Monday 11 September – Friday 15 September 2023.
Phase Three (Lincoln): Monday 27 November – Thursday 30 November 2023. 

Feeling inspired? Download the brochure with more information:

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Leading industry players Fonterra and CLAAS get behind the 2023 Rural Leaders Agribusiness Summit.

Leading industry organisations have come together to support the 2023 Rural Leaders Agribusiness Summit and its bold aim to promote global vision, leadership and innovation.

The growing list of support for this fast-paced, one-day industry forum includes Platinum Sponsors Fonterra and CLAAS, and Gold Sponsors AGMARDT, FMG and MPI.

“CLAAS welcomes and supports this important forum for sector professionals to share local and international knowledge on food and forage production solutions”, says Richard Wilson, Landpower Group Chief Executive Officer.

“Partnering with the Summit was a natural fit for us as we recognise that, alongside outstanding innovations in agricultural engineering, most important to us are our relationships with our customers and suppliers, developed over many years. We learn from each other and our customers. We are focused on gearing up our farmers to succeed”, says Richard Wilson.

Coming at a time when the fast-changing food and fibre sector is under increased pressure to adapt, the Summit will deliver an informative, inspiring and innovative day with practical and successful solutions to some of our toughest challenges.

Demonstrating the solutions shown to mitigate some of these challenges, the Summit, themed ‘Forefront’, will move past disruption, with local and global speakers, panellists, and delegates collaborating to discuss and debate the most topical agribusiness challenges globally and locally.

“As a Co-operative, it’s in our DNA to collaborate. We believe that by working with others we can overcome the toughest challenges our industry faces while maximising the opportunities to build more innovative and resilient businesses that contribute positively to society”, states Anna Taylor, Regional Manager, Fonterra.

“That’s what this event is all about. It provides a unique opportunity for the brightest minds in agribusiness to come together and share local and international case studies as well as brainstorm practical ideas for the future”, adds Anna Taylor.

While the one-day Summit stands on its own, it also forms part of the Nuffield Triennial Conference for international and national Nuffield alumni. The Conference is a nine-day agribusiness itinerary of travel through the South Island’s leading food and fibre operations – beginning in Christchurch with the Summit and ending in Queenstown.

Like the Triennial, the Summit seeks to play a key role in connecting sector leaders, producers and professionals with national and international peers.

Hosted by award-winning political journalist Corin Dann, the Summit features a stellar line-up of speakers that includes influential, global communicator and Keynote Speaker Devry Boughner Vorwerk.

Devry will speak on embracing change while balancing shareholder and stakeholder expectations – as well as outlining the mechanisms to succeed where geopolitical volatility, climate change and societal expectations are placing pressure on traditional business models.

The Summit is organised into three speaker streams. They are:

Our World – Our Natural Environment.

Speakers include: Harry Clark, Karin Stark, Tom Sturgess, Volker Knutzsch, followed by a panel including Dr. Solis Norton.

Our People – Consumer Trends and Trade.

Speakers include: Vangelis Vitalis, Lain Jager, Emma Parsons, followed by a panel including Anna Benny.

Our Future – Entrepreneurship and Leadership.

Speakers include: Traci Houpapa, Angus Brown, Mark McLeod-Smith, Dr Ellen Joan Nelson, also followed by a panel.

“While short and faced-paced, the Summit will be a quality-rich day for farmers and producers. It will explore meeting challenges and seeking opportunities for the sector while retaining the gentle balance of farming in a way that nurtures and supports the environment and remains profitable,” adds Richard Wilson.

Forefront is open to food and fibre sector professionals, producers and the general public. The Summit Dinner, with speaker Te Radar, is selling out fast.

Supported and sponsored by industry.

The 2023 Rural Leaders Agribusiness Summit has been made possible with the generous support of,

Platinum Sponsors – Fonterra and CLAAS.

Gold Sponsors – AGMARDT, FMG, and MPI.

Silver Sponsors – AgriHQ, PGG Wrightson Seeds, Tavendale and Partners, Ravensdown, Bayer, LIC, Ballance, Colliers, Cardrona Distillery, and MyFarm.

Bronze Sponsors – Barenbrug, Manawa Energy, Asure Quality, Pioneer, Ford Macauley, and OSPRI.

For more information on the 2023 Rural Leaders Agribusiness Summit visit, https://ruralleaders.co.nz/forefront/

Media Contact – Matt Hampton, Marketing and Communications Manager, The New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust, 0274 171 065, matthampton@ruralleaders.co.nzplayers

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Rural Leaders – the big moves in 2022.

Rual Leaders

Here’s a look at some of Rural Leaders’ big moves in 2022. 

The first Value Chain Innovation Programme. 

We completed the first Value Chain Innovation Programme. Twenty-two food and fibre professionals and producers took part in this immersive one-week tour of key North Island value chains.  

“Everyone came out fizzing. It was refreshing, exhilarating and it changed mindsets. Everyone wanted to replicate the experience and insights on a larger scale. How could we scale it to tackle the large issues confronting NZ primary industries?” stated Prof. Hamish Gow, who co-facilitated the programme with Phil Morrison. 

There are plans afoot to repeat the programme in 2023 – this time with a South Island version. 

Visit the programme page.

The busiest Kellogg year in its 50+ year history. 

When the tough gets going… yep. We knuckled down to deliver five phase three’s, four phase two’s and three phase one’s. If our maths is correct that’s twelve phases for 2022, when a ‘normal’ year would see six.  
 
This was in part because Rural Leaders, in partnership with Whanganui and Partners, delivered the second regional Kellogg Programme.  
 
Despite flipping to a hybrid experiential-digital delivery model – the previous two years saw a number of interruptions from Covid, so 2022 was often about catching several programmes up. 
 
A silver lining here, was the graduation of the 1000th Kellogg Scholar.  
 
Thank you to the Scholars for their commitment and to the Rural Leaders’ Management, Facilitation and Academic teams. It’s been a big year for Kellogg. 

Nuffield international travel. 

We don’t want to dwell on Covid, but there was some catch-up to do on our Nuffield Scholars’ travel plans too. 2022 saw the completion of three year groups’ international travel. The logistics work required here is substantial, even on a ‘normal’ year. 
 
Thanks to plenty of hard work, Nuffield Scholars managed to put quite a few dots on the map. We are sure the fruits of this exposure to leading agricultural thinking will pay dividends to food and fibre in the future. 

2023 Rural Leaders Agribusiness Summit announced. 

Many alumni and much of our team is involved in organising this landmark event for Rural Leaders.

We’re not going to add much else here, except to say – book your seat today. Head to https://ruralleaders.co.nz/rural-leaders-international-summit-day.

We were finalists. 

We made finalist in the people development category of Beef+LambNZ Awards. We didn’t win but it was great to be acknowledged alongside many other passionate and hardworking enterprises in food and fibre.

Stepping up the academic and impact tempo.

Accreditation of the Kellogg Rural leadership Programme saw a full year of applications across the five graduating cohorts. In all around 90% throughout the year signed-up for accreditation. 
  
The Mckenzie Study’s Kellogg piece has just been completed. We’ll share some of the findings on the impact Kellogg Scholars have made in the New Year.  
 
We’ve pulled together a two-page summary of 2021 and 2022, that also features some of the big moves made by our Scholars in the Food and Fibre Sector. 

Take a look at the key impact statistics below or download here. 

Seeking applications for an Associate Trustee. New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust.

NZRLT Board and 2023 Scholars
NZRLT Board and 2023 Scholars
Current Board of Trustees with 2023 Nuffield New Zealand Farming Scholars, November 2022.

The Board of the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (NZRLT) is seeking applications for an Associate Trustee. 

This appointment is for 12 months starting February 2023 and finishing in February 2024. 

The NZRLT Board meets six times per year and holds additional meetings as required. The duration of each meeting typically runs to half a day.  

The NZRLT is seeking applications from Programme Alumni (Nuffield, Kellogg and Value Chain Innovation Programmes). 

Role of the board 

The Board operates under the NZRLT Trust Deed. Its role is to represent, and promote the interests of, the Trust and, thereby, industry investors and alumni. Having regard to its role the board directs, and supervises the management of, the business and affairs of the NZRLT including: 

  • Strategy. ensuring the NZRLT’s goals are clearly established, and strategies are in place for achieving them, 
  • Policies. establishing policies for strengthening the performance of the NZRLT including ensuring management is proactively seeking to build the business through innovation, initiative, technology, new products, and the development of its business capital, 
  • Performance. monitoring the performance of management appointing the CEO. 
  • deciding on whatever steps are necessary to protect the NZRLT’s financial position and the ability to meet its debts and other obligations when they fall due, and ensuring that such steps are taken, 
  • Fiduciary Responsibilities. ensuring the NZRLT’s financial statements are true and fair and otherwise conform with law, 
  • Standards. ensuring the NZRLT adheres to high standards of ethics and corporate behaviour, 
  • Risk. ensuring the NZRLT has appropriate risk management/regulatory compliance policies in place. 

In the normal course of events, day-to-day management of the NZRLT is left to management. All Trustees are expected to operate objectively in the interests of the NZRLT. The board is collectively responsible for the success of the NZRLT.  

As Associate Trustee your voice will be welcomed at the Board Table, but as a non-voting member you will not be required or accustomed to act or exercise controls and powers required of the permanent Trustees. 

Timing and location of board meetings, and time commitment 

The board normally meets six times per year and holds additional meetings as the occasion requires. The duration of each meeting typically runs to half a day. You will receive the board papers for the meeting by one week prior. 

In addition to routine board meetings, you should allow for preparatory work and travel, and ensure that you are able to make the necessary overall time commitment. All Trustees are expected to have carefully reviewed all board papers and related material sent to them for meetings. 

Remuneration 

This is an unpaid role. However, the NZRLT will reimburse all direct and indirect expenses such as accommodation and travelling expenses, reasonably and properly incurred, and documented. 

To apply

Written application and CV should be emailed to Chris Parsons, CEO, NZRLT at chrisparsons@ruralleaders.co.nz.

Or alternatively, feel free to email Chris to arrange a time for a confidential discussion. 

Applications close midnight, January 9, 2023. 

We look forward to receiving your application, and if successful, working with you to grow world-class leaders for our country.