BOARD OF DIRECTORS
The appointment of a board was a critical step forward in this company's young history and stands testament to the fact that Rissington Breedline is performing at the highest of levels from inside the farm gate to global markets. Clients and partners of Rissington Breedline can trust in the expertise of this governing team.
Rick Bettle
Chairman
Rick is a professional Director and has immense board and executive experience in our industry and across many other sectors. He is an Accredited Fellow and immediate Past President of the New Zealand Institute of Directors. Of industry note he currently chairs Ovita and Baker Ag and he has previously chaired NZ Lamb Company and Wrightson Finance. He also was the Managing Director of Wrightson from 1987 to 1991 and the CEO of Alliance Group from 1991 to 1995. In addition to this Rick has a long list of current and former board and executive roles to his name on a number of listed and private companies.
"Rissington Breedline helps farmers to produce the product that will grow demand for lamb and beef internationally. The New Zealand Meat industry has consistently failed to move forward from the farm gate auction system that has ensured many farmers constantly receive mixed signals about the real value of the product they produce. Rissington Breedline is trying to show the value of a cooperative approach from breeding to processing to retailing and I am proud to be part of such a business."
Simon Beamish
Director
Simon is a Hawke's Bay-based company director of Rissington Breedline and General Manager of Beamish Farms Ltd. As General Manager, Simon operates 26,000 stock units on three properties comprising of 2,954 ha. Beamish Farms are a foundation shareholder of Rissington Breedline and farm a large number of the Primera® elite ewes.
"As a supporter and contributor to the Rissington Breedline vision, my personal view is ‘The lamb business in the future must dramatically move on from the past. The key elements to this are involving people willing to embrace change, improved genetics and management, sophisticated value chains, farmers belonging to supply groups and science seeking quantum solutions'."
Hugh Martyn
Director
Hugh is a Christchurch-based company director of Rissington Breedline and an Executive of PGG Wrightson Limited. PGG Wrightson, New Zealand's largest agri-business service provider, is the largest local investor in BioPacificVentures who is a major shareholder of Rissington Breedline. BioPacificVentures is a $100m investment fund focused on young life science companies, particularly those involved with food and health and agriculture. Hugh is also a Director of the New Zealand Merino Company Limited and City Care Limited.
"PGG Wrightson see Rissington Breedline as one of the leaders - and potential major beneficiary - of the changes that are occurring in the lamb production supply chain model. The path they are taking is already well established in the international dairy, pork and poultry industries, and is likely to gain momentum here in response to the continued low lamb schedule prices experienced recently by the industry."
Director
Andrew is a company director of Rissington Breedline from the major shareholder BioPacificVentures. Andrew was one of the founders of BioPacificVentures which is a $100m investment fund focused on young life science companies, particularly those involved with food, health and agriculture. Andrew is a veterinarian by training and Australian; he came to New Zealand 10 years ago as Director of AgResearch's Invermay Research Centre in Dunedin, the home of much of Rissington Breedline's genetic technology. Andrew has overseen the fund's nine investments to date and is a Director on four of the companies. BioPacificVentures invested in Rissington Breedline because of the bold moves it was making in the lamb industry.
"To be successful in business, and investment, takes vision and strong nerves these days, and Rissington Breedline was pushing into a whole new way of doing business in lamb. We were especially attracted by the revolutionary approach to the lamb supply chain, which we see as having potential in other industries too."
Alan McConnon
Director
Alan is Executive Director of Aorangi Laboratories Limited, a family owned investment company with a portfolio covering PGG Wrightson (through RPI) and several privately-held companies in New Zealand and Australia. He is also a Director of several companies within New Zealand including The NZ Merino Company and Mt Difficulty Wines. Alan has had much experience in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods industry, predominantly with Mainland Products Limited, a business founded by his father in the 1950's and purchased by Fonterra in 2004.
"Globally, agricultural production and related technology is going through a major renaissance and New Zealand leads the change process in many arable systems. Rissington Breedline is a great example of this evolution and has the potential to provide significant impetus to improving output and consistency in lamb production and supply chain linkages for the betterment of growers and their markets."