Speakers
Rt. Hon. Dame Jenny Shipley DCNZ, NZFIM
Former Prime Minister of New Zealand
Director and Advisor.
Jenny Shipley, while a former Prime Minister of New Zealand, is today a Director, Advisor and Keynote Speaker with a special interest in business, economic and social development opportunities globally.
She is an Independent director of China Construction Bank, one of the big four major state owned banks in China. She has recently been appointed Chair of Genesis, one of the NZ publicly owned power companies. She is Chairman of Senior Money International. She also chairs Mainzeal Construction and is a Director of its parent, Richina Pacific She is an independent Director of Momentum and ISI.
She was Prime Minister from 97 to 99 and in the preceding 7 years she was a Senior Minister in the New Zealand Government and a driving force in the successful decade of economic and social reforms in NZ. She retired form NZ politics in 2002.
She is a very regular visitor to China in her role as a director, a keynote speaker and in association with her consultancy. She is on a number of advisory boards including the International Economic Advisory Board of the City of Rotterdam. She advises companies and governments on including geopolitical, demographic, economic and social mega trends and speaks all around the world on these and a wide range of other topics.
She was an Initiator of the Education Forum for East Asia, now held in Beijing annually. She is an active member and is involved in a number of projects with the World Women’s Leadership Council and the Club of Madrid, a group of former leaders who promote democracy and transparent economic development, globally. These activities take her to all corner of the world on a regular basis.
Jenny Shipley is married to Burton Shipley and has two adult children. Anna 32 is Director of Communications for Nokia for the UK and Ireland. Ben is 31 and is the Creative Director for Hill & Knowlton, a PR company in Sydney.
Tim Deane
General Manager Milk Supply, Fonterra
Tim Deane joined Fonterra in September 2007. As General Manager Milk Supply, Tim and his team are responsible for growing a sustainable and safe milk supply and ensuring the Fonterra shareholder relationship delivers competitive advantage and value.
After graduating from Lincoln, Tim spent five years working for the New Zealand Dairy Board and has subsequently held a number of senior general management roles in the pharmaceutical, agriculture and financial services sectors in New
Zealand.
Garth Gallaway
Partner, Duncan Cotterill Lawyers
Garth practises in insurance-related litigation for several insurance companies and underwriters, particularly in relation to professional indemnity, statutory liability and public liability insurance.
Garth also has a general civil litigation practice covering litigation in all of the various Courts and Tribunals. Most of his work relates to acting for solicitors, accountants, real estate agents, valuers and other organisations that are defending professional negligence claims.
Recently, Garth has successfully defended a real estate agency in a test case brought by the Commerce Commission in relation to vendor bidding. He won the case in the Court of Appeal when the Commission appealed the High Court decision. He has acted for many clients in prosecutions brought under the Health and Safety in Employment Act.
Other recent cases include:
- Acting for an architect/designer in relation to a substantial claim (involving complex issues of both structural and mechanical engineering) brought against it by a local authority.
- Numerous OSH cases acting for employers charged under the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.
- Argued (and won) only case under Plant Variety Rights Act.
In addition to his litigation experience, Garth has extensive experience in alternative dispute resolution, especially mediation. He has also acted for many sporting bodies, administrators and athletes. He joined Duncan Cotterill as a Partner in February 2001. Prior to this, he worked for two large law firms in Wellington, before taking up a
partnership in Dunedin in 1996.
George Baikie, BSc., MRISC
Regional Manager and Principal Consultant, SAC Consulting
Having graduated from Aberdeen University with a BSc in Agriculture, George spent 18 months carrying out contract calving as part of a MOET project in Aberdeenshire. He started working for SAC as an Agricultural Consultant in October 1989 in the Farm Business Services (FBS) office in Inverness. He quickly took a special interest in financial and business planning casework, novel crop feasibility trials (successfully instigating the first field-scale garlic enterprise in Scotland) and livestock production, in particular beef cattle.
George gained MRISC accreditation through distance learning in the 1990s. This led to a large amount of involvement with rental negotiations and compensation agreements throughout the Highlands.
He moved to Orkney in the Spring of 1999 as the Area Manager for the FBS office in Kirkwall. Since moving to Kirkwall, the office staff numbers have increased from three to nine, including two dedicated Record Keeping Service administrators managing cattle/sheep records and other compliance issues. They provide consultancy services to over 84% of the rural community in Orkney, with over 300 subscribing clients. George is a board member of Orkney Auction Mart and Local Action Group for LEADER in Orkney and Shetland.
George played a significant role in the development of the “Farming for the Future” concept that was pioneered by SAC and NFUS in Orkney in the late 1990s. This project ran parallel to the monitor farm concept which was being rolled out across Scotland at that time.
In August 2008, George became the Regional Manager for the Highlands and Islands Region, which stretches for over 640 kilometres from Shetland in the north, to Campbeltown at the southern tip of Argyll. The Highlands and Islands has a total land area of just over 39,050 square kilometres and a coastline of over 9000 kilometres. George manages 42 staff across nine office locations with a turnover of £2 million.
Thomas Clinton
Dairy Farmer Ireland, USA, France, New Zealand
Thomas Clinton is 63 years of age, married to Helen, they have 8 eight children, 6 girls and 2 boys. Born into a small family farm of 32ha, he started full-time farming at fifteen years of age.
Thomas was involved in the Irish Farmers Association at local and national level. He headed the credit committee during the credit crises in the eighties and served as its President for two years. He built up family farm to 170ha owned, plus 130ha leased and rented. The family farm is a dairy farm producing 2.7 million litres and farmed by his son John.
In New Zealand the Clintons farm 1450ha, with 2500 cows, producing 1,020,000 kg of milksolids. They have been sold one quarter interest in 2 units with 3400 cows in Indiana and Ohio in the U.S.A two years ago.
Thomas has property interests in Ireland, U.S.A, France and New Zealand and takes a keen interest in dairy farming and farming issues across the world.
Mike Sabin
Managing Director Methcon Group Ltd
Mike Sabin is a nationally and internationally recognised expert and authority on methamphetamine and drug policy. He has extensive drug policy, strategy and research experience, with a uniquely balanced perspective and credibility which is widely recognised within several international forums.
Mike is affiliated with leading global policy experts and authorities on demand and supply-side reduction initiatives, which are recognised internationally as the most successful strategies to reduce drug prevalence, contrary to advocates of the harm reduction movement. He is a member of the International Task Force for Strategic Drug Policy and a fellow and associate of numerous international drug-free coalitions and specialist drug policy groups, including the highly respected National Association for a Drug-free Society of Sweden. Author of publications on the efficacy of harm prevention demand reduction focused drug policy initiatives including solutions to the methamphetamine crisis in New Zealand. Respected commentator with regular broadcast appearances from news, current affairs to documentary formats and regularly published articles and editorials. Mike is a respected expert lecturer on methamphetamine, drug abuse, drug policy strategy and responses with over 750 presentations on the national and international stage including the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs.
Brendan O’Donovan
Chief Economist
Westpac
Brendan was appointed as Chief Economist for Westpac in May 2003. Prior to joining Westpac, he spent a couple of years backpacking around the world.
He was Chief Economist for the National Bank and has also worked for the NZ Institute of Economic Research. Brendan was educated at Auckland University, and graduated with a Masters, First Class Honours. His work has been published in New Zealand and International journals, he’s a regular on the speaker circuit, and provides comment to New Zealand media on key economic issues.
Abe and Anita de Wolde
Dairy Farmer, Southland
Abe and Anita de Wolde started their farming career in the Netherlands where they ran a 26ha farm with about 40 cows.
In 1990 they emigrated to New Zealand and after a farm job in Canterbury they purchased their first conversion farm about 20 kilometres north of Winton.
Ignoring early advice that milking cows in Central Southland was a bad idea they converted another 10 sheep farms over the years with a ‘can-do’, ‘learn-as-you-go’ attitude. Their current operation milks 2100 cows and another 600 in an equity partnership, mostly in the Heddon Bush area, within 5km of the original farm.
About half of the cows are wintered inside in free-stall barns. These cows are milked for 300 days per year for increased efficiency. The de Woldes are passionate about good stewardship and efficiency. Production per hectare on their farms varies between 1350 and 1550 ms/ha , with the help of supplementary feed in the milking sheds.
Mike Horgan
Dairy Farmer
Mike and his wonderful wife of 36 years, Maree, are parents to six adult children with grandchildren now arriving at regular intervals. Born into dairying in Taranaki in 1952, he emigrated to Southland in 1994 with the intention of buying quality land at a realistic price.
Opportunity abounded and Mike and Maree, together with their great staff, now supply Fonterra from seven dairy units, milking 3900 cows and farming sufficient support area to winter all cows and grow out young stock.
Mike’s interests include firstly his family; support for sensible environmental initiatives, particularly in dairying; Voice for Life Support; sport of most descriptions and fast cars.
Gordon McKenzie
Southland Farmer
Gordon is a third generation Southland dairy farmer and has been all of his life. He originally farmed in partnership with his father and two brothers, but the partnership has since dissolved. He and his two brothers are still involved in dairy farming with his Mum and Dad keeping a watchful eye over them all. He is presently milking 2000 cows on 3 farms with his son Blair running one of them. Gordon also owns 3 run-off blocks which are used for stock grazing and wintering – so they are self-contained.
Gordon was the Chairman of the Southland Large Herds Conference in 1993, served on the national executive from 1992-1997, and also on the committee of the International Large Herds Conference in Canterbury 2000. He was on the committee for the Southland Dairy Promotion Board in the early 1990s which sought dairy farmers to come to Southland and attended the Mystery Creek Field Days to promote this.
Gordon is a very parochial Southlander who loves the province, enjoys dairy farming, sea fishing, rugby, horse racing and loves socialising.
Alistair Nelson
General Manager
Rissington Breedline
Alistair Nelson is General Manager for the New Zealand operations of Rissington Breedline.
The Company was established in 2001 and has quickly generated a reputation as a leading supplier of innovative sheep and beef genetics and associated production and supply chain systems.
RBL has now successfully implemented a completely integrated supply chain from conception through to dedicated branded retail products with Marks and Spencer in the UK.
Dr Jamie Blennerhassett
Technical Manager
Summit Quinphos
Dr Blennerhassett is the Technical Manager for Summit Quinphos and has over 8 years experience within the NZ fertiliser industry.
Jamie holds a PhD from Massey University where he studied the potential of nitrogen in dry, hill country farms and prior to that attained a Masters of Applied Science (Hons) majoring in soil and water environmental management.
Jamie’s role at Summit Quinphos encompasses a wide range of responsibilities including new product innovation and development, staff technical training and liason with industry and regulatory authorities.
Jamie has an in-depth knowledge of the key environmental challenges facing the farming industry and is actively involved in producing products, services and systems that are aimed at ensuring NZ farmers can meet regulatory requirements, both with NZ and overseas.
Sue Lindsay
Winner of the New Zealand Young Executive of the Year, Southlander of the Year, Direct Marketer of the Year finalist and winner of the World Young Business Achievers award in Beijing China. And that’s just some of the recognition received for this inspiring New Zealander’s dynamic approach to life, leadership and business.
Her career has taken her from running the family farm in Southland to a stellar corporate career in New Zealand Agribusiness, involvement in two global leadership projects and now a partnership with one of the worlds thought leaders, business guru Tom Peters. She is a highly sought after speaker, Master coach and consultant working with individuals, groups and organisations throughout New Zealand and internationally.
Sue’s experiences and ideas will inspire your sense of possibility and bring your personal and business visions alive. She will inspire you to take action but more importantly she will show you how to take action effectively. She shares her wealth of experience, international training and research with you, as someone who actually faces the challenges of leadership, management and operation of diverse businesses on a daily basis, and she comes to you as someone who has literally walked in your gumboots.
Julia Lee
Julia Lee has been working for DairyNZ for 7.5 years. She began working there as a research technician and last year graduated with her PhD from the University of Tasmania. Her PhD investigated the effect of grazing severity on perennial ryegrass, focusing mainly on pasture production and quality, plant energy reserves and gene expression.
Kirsty Hammond
I am a PhD student of AgResearch Grasslands and Massey University’s Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences. I am into the second year of my PhD which is investigating methane emissions from ruminants fed fresh forages.
Kiro R Petrovski
Kiro R Petrovski began working with dairy cows at age 11. With a lifelong interest in animals and animal health, after completing his education he worked 2.5 years as a veterinary practitioner in Macedonia, before moving to New Zealand. He is currently working as researcher with special interest in bovine mastitis.
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Sarah Pain
Dr Sarah Pain graduated with a PhD in Animal Science from the University of Adelaide in 2008, where she worked as a lecturer in Animal Nutrition and Metabolism until relocating to New Zealand to take up the position of lecturer in Pastoral Livestock Production at Massey University.
Sarah was born in South Australia, raised for several years in the Northern Territory before returning to South Australia with her family. She completed her undergraduate degree in Biotechnology at the University of Adelaide in 2001, followed by an honours degree in Agriculture at the same university.
Her PhD studies involved “Identifying nutritive, physical and volatile characteristics of oaten and lucerne hay that influence the feed preferences of lactating Holstein Friesian cows and Thoroughbred horses.” Her research interests remain in the area of plant and animal interactions and feed preferences, which she is now applying to New Zealand’s pasture based system and investigating ruminant feed preferences for a number of novel New Zealand pasture herbs and legumes.
Christine Lindsay
Originally from a Southland sheep farm, I completed a BApplSc (Hons) in Agriculture at Massey University in 2006. Following this, I went on to work for a grass seed company, covering the lower North Island in technical sales as well as trial and research work. I have returned to Massey as a Research Officer, conducting a part-time PhD in soil science, looking at duration-controlled grazing of dairy cows as a strategy to meet the Dairy Industry’s Sustainability Vision of a 50% reduction in N loss to waterways.
My other work at Massey includes teaching and development of nutrient management courses and assisting with various research projects focussed on nutrient management. Outside of Massey, I am an active member of New Zealand Young Farmers, and a qualified teacher and judge of Highland & National Dancing.
Caroline Walker
I am a second year PhD student at the Liggins institute (University of Auckland). I work as a research technician for DairyNZ (based at ViaLactia Biosciences) where my primary research area is dairy cattle fertility.
Lachlan Pearson
Lachlan Pearson recently started a Postdoctoral position at DairyNZ in Hamilton investigating cow susceptibility to mastitis.
He hopes to combine his knowledge of farming and research to find new solutions for mastitis control. Lachlan did an honours degree in medical microbiology and immunology, and investigated how a peptide kills specific species of bacteria. He enjoyed working on dairy farms in the summer holidays and so got a job in the weekends at a local dairy farm for a few years while at veterinary school. He said he was always fascinated by disease and subsequently used to post-mortem cows and calves from farms he was involved with to try and find causes of death.
He also did a student fellowship in milk quality at the Fonterra milk plant at Hawera, formerly Kiwi Dairies. He left veterinary school after the 4th year and worked as a research technician and on dairy farms including the WTARS research farm in Taranaki. He recently completed a PhD in molecular medicine at the University of Otago, Christchurch.
Larry Vanderwey
Dairy Farmer in Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.
Larry graduated in 1990 from Loyola Marymount University with a Bachelor’s of Business Administration. In 1991, he graduated Magna Cum Laude from The University of Arizona with a Bachelor’s of Science in Agriculture. From 1991 to 1996, he worked for several large dairy farms in Arizona. In 1997, Larry and his older brother Nick started Grand View Dairy in Phoenix, Arizona. Grand View Dairy has grown in size to be one of the top ten dairies in Arizona. Along the way, the dairy was joined by younger brothers John and Mike resulting in a true family farm.
Grand View Dairy currently milks 4,900 cows in two milk barns, three times a day. The dairy has a total of 8,500 animals from day old calves to replacement springers on site. Approximately 2,000 replacement heifers are being raised on pasture in eastern Kansas. The dairy has developed and utilizes the latest in dairy automation and technology. Annually, the dairy produces 14,000,000 gallons of milk (53,000,000 liters) at 3.5% milk fat. Grand View Dairy retails feed locally through its 20,000 ton (22,000 metric ton) grain mill. Also sold are bred milking cows, replacement heifers, feedlot steers, and virgin breeding bulls to local dairymen and beef feedlots.
The Vanderwey brothers also farm 6,200 acres (15,300 hectare) within Arizona. Crops grown are baled alfalfa, barley, wheat, cotton, and melons. Grand View Dairy receives all of the barley and some baled hay. The remaining alfalfa is sold locally with some baled hay being exported overseas to United Arab Emirates. The melons are packaged, sold and distributed within the United States.
Larry is active in his industry and community as an advisor and board of director. He is married to his beautiful wife Suzy for thirteen years and together have two boys; Charlie 12 and Jack 10. Larry returns to New Zealand to speak at the large herd conference again where he was a guest speaker five years ago. Outside the business, Larry enjoys all outdoor activities and races off-road trucks professionally with his brothers.