All are keynote speakers at the upcoming 2015 South Island Dairy Event (SIDE). And all will tell their inspiring stories to motivate the south’s dairy farmers in this difficult farming environment.
SIDE organising committee chair Steve Booker says now is the time to be resilient, and to learn from people who have faced and overcome adversity in their own lives.
“We have deliberately chosen motivational presenters including Sir Ray Avery and Mike Allsop who have pushed through hardship to achieve. Their stories are stimulating and uplifting, and we hope SIDE farmers will come away inspired.
“SIDE offers plenty of workshops to provide practical timely advice and information on the things farmers should be dong to monitor and improve production, and to manage finances. But it’s also an important time to lift the sights from everyday operations, and to think and plan about how to get through the current downturn and beyond. Resilience is the key.”
The conference speakers are as follows.
New Zealander of the Year 2010 Sir Ray Avery is a well-known and successful pharmaceutical scientist and businessmen whose efforts have made modern cataract surgery available to very poor people in many countries.
Brought up in English orphanages and foster homes, he knows adversity, and has seen hardship while working in Africa and Asia. He was determined to use his knowledge of pharmaceuticals, science, product management and product design to tackle big health issues endemic in the developing work. His catch-cry is practicality and sustainability.
Avery has received many accolades and awards for his efforts.
Mike Allsop, an airline pilot, Mt Everest mountaineer, adventurer and extreme marathon competitor, also knows about pushing through barriers.
He dreamed of being an airline pilot and pursued this goal, breaking it down into smaller parts then focusing on each step in turn. Now an Air New Zealand captain, he uses the same steps to reach goals in physical pursuits, including being only one of a few athletes to complete seven marathons in seven days on seven continents.
He is living proof of a philosophy “if you believe you can, you will,” and will impart his goal-setting approaches and inspirational thinking to SIDE attendees.
Ed Timmings, a chiropractor and ‘ironman’, knows about tragedy. He will offer tips for achieving balance in a busy life and reaching business objectives and personal potential.
Mike McRoberts, TV3 news presenter and reporter from conflict hot-spots such as Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon and Gaza, will share insights gained while covering natural disasters such as in Haiti and Pakistan.
Mai Chen, a lawyer and managing partner in Chen Palmer Public and Employment Law, serves on advisory boards, is an author and business leader whose skills have won her awards including Business and Entrepreneur Women of Influence Award 2013.
She has recently founded New Zealand Asian Leaders, connecting top Asian NZ chief executives and emerging leaders with NZ companies trading in Asia.
Rabobank analyst Michael Harvey will speak about the bank’s food and agribusiness research and advisory (FAR) team. This analyses developments in food and agricultural markets and industries, and advises on their strategic implications. Harvey has worked with Dairy Australia as a commodity analyst in the dairy sector.
