David and his wife Harriet own a finishing block in Whanganui where they are focused on building ecological equity and high-quality produce through regenerative practices. David is also General Manager for Apiary Solutions, an early stage technology company intent on unlocking the potential of bees.

Having been raised on a Hereford stud in the North Waikato, David and his young family have recently returned to Aotearoa after spending the last six years building teams and products in San Francisco’s technology world.

The proposition of leading the primary sector into a new world prompted David to complete the Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme in 2018. He is excited to have the opportunity to lead in an industry where the rate of change is constantly accelerating and where this change is driven by consumer preferences.

It is the confluence of three big challenges where he sees a huge opportunity for future proofing the New Zealand primary sector: tightening access to finance, attracting and retaining talent, and addressing consumer driven demand for increased land stewardship.

As a Nuffield Scholar, he plans to explore alternative financing solutions that incentivise positive outcomes for land ownership, land stewardship, farm management and consumer choice.