Jo Sheridan is Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year
Waikato farmer, and Owl Farm demonstration manager, Jo Sheridan is the 2025 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year.
The role will offer a next step on the leadership and governance journey for a present and active member of DWN.
Applications open on 13 January 2022 with the full 16-month term commencing on 1 March.
The successful candidate will attend board meetings and DWN events over the term and will complete a targeted project focusing on leadership or an area of industry challenge.
“At Dairy Women’s Network we see the promise in our women daily. This new programme brings that talent to the forefront by providing a pathway to build experience and confidence, and develop a governance CV through actively participating in our own governance framework. They can then take these experiences and skills to other roles and further opportunities, leading our industry into the future,” says DWN chair Karen Forlong.
Funding from the Agricultural and Marketing Research and Development Trust (AGMARDT) will provide the associate trustee with access to mentoring, and external industry opportunities, throughout the duration of the programme.
“Like many of us, AGMARDT have identified the potential of women in the industry who operate with purpose, and who are motivated to make change and craft transformation, to move into governance roles,” says Forlong.
“Our experience is that dairy women benefit from programmes that allow them to collaboratively discuss strategies and solution while building self-confidence and learning new skills. We see this often with our Business Groups – the aim now is to give women access to roles of increasing leadership and possibility.”
AGMARDT will join DWN in collaboratively developing a standard programme that will be implemented across the industry by other organisations, creating a range of new opportunities for women across the sector.
“AGMARDT is thrilled to support to development of an associate director pilot programme for Dairy Women’s Network. Not only will it provide learning opportunities for dairy women, enabling them to have greater impact in their sector, it will also offer a blueprint for other food and fibres organisations who recognise the value in growing future directors and in having fresh perspectives around their board tables,” says AGMARDT general manager Lee-Ann Marsh.
“We see this as a fantastic opportunity to grow our sector’s leadership through developing a best practice approach, while removing some of the barriers smaller organisations may face in establishing their own associate director programmes.”
