increase font size
Robin Congdon.
The New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards has appointed Robin Congdon general manager, succeeding Chris Keeping who served 18 years in the role.
Awards board chair Rachel Baker says the 2019 National Awards evening in Wellington last month was a fitting event to farewell Keeping.
“It was special having every executive chairman she had worked with present on the night, and many previous winners and volunteers, to acknowledge her care and contribution over the past 18 years,” Baker says.
“We look forward to seeing where Robin will take the role and our organisation into the future.”
Congdon is a marketing and events specialist with business management experience. Most recently he was the national events manager for Massey University, managing the NZ Food Awards.
Congdon is looking forward to the general manager role and believes his background in business, event programmes and communication and information technology will allow him to see new opportunities and efficiencies.
“The NZDIA programme has been built from virtually nothing to a substantial national awards programme over the last 18 years,” he said.
“It is important the NZDIA stays relevant and delivers value to the entrants, sponsors and the trust. I am also proud to be part of New Zealand primary industry, dairy.”
The awards provide a learning and growth platform for young and emerging farmers as they progress in their careers.
The national sponsors are Westpac, DeLaval, Ecolab, Federated Farmers, Fonterra, Honda, LIC, Meridian Energy, Ravensdown, DairyNZ and PrimaryITO.
As the New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards night unfolded, it became evident that Waikato’s Thomas and Fiona Langford were the frontrunners for the biggest prize of the night – the 2025 Share Farmers of the Year award.
Tasman sharemilkers Warric and Rachel Johnson haven't let the 2006 milk payout crash put them out of business.
OPINION: Results of regional New Zealand Dairy Industry Awards (NZDIA) are trickling in but there's a worrying trend emerging.
The winner of the 2025 Hawke’s Bay/Wairarapa Dairy Industry Awards enjoys the variety of work farming offers and the ability to improve each season.
Coronet Peak, Queenstown, was the venue for the 2024 NZ Dairy Industry Awards.
Academic Dr Mike Joy and his employer, Victoria University of Wellington have apologised for his comments suggesting that dairy industry CEOs should be hanged for contributing towards nitrate poisoning of waterways.
Environment Southland's catchment improvement funding is once again available for innovative landowners in need of a boost to get their project going.
The team meeting at the Culverden Hotel was relaxed and open, despite being in the middle of calving when stress levels are at peak levels, especially in bitterly cold and wet conditions like today.
A comment by outspoken academic Dr Mike Joy suggesting that dairy industry leaders should be hanged for nitrate contamination of drinking/groundwater has enraged farmers.
OPINION: The phasing out of copper network from communications is understandable.
Driven by a lifelong passion for animals, Amy Toughey's journey from juggling three jobs with full-time study to working on cutting-edge dairy research trials shows what happens when hard work meets opportunity - and she's only just getting started.
OPINION: Westland Milk may have won the contract to supply butter to Costco NZ but Open Country Dairy is having…
OPINION: The Gene Technology Bill has divided the farming community with strong arguments on both the pros and cons of…
