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).
