increase font size
Federated Farmers dairy vice chairman Richard McIntyre.
Federated Farmers dairy vice chairman Richard McIntyre says the associate director scheme run by DairyNZ is awesome and he would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.
The role allows the two successful candidates to join the board for a year and fully participate in all the discussions but they do not have voting rights. The aim is to provide up and coming leaders in the sector with experience in governance. DairyNZ has just concluded a recruitment campaign for its next two associate directors.
McIntyre is about half way through his term as an associate director and is full of praise for this DairyNZ initiative. He says he’s been encouraged to participate in the debate at board meetings and told not to just sit there and listen.
“They encourage you to voice your opinion and share it with the rest of the board. It is great in that respect because I have never felt like I couldn’t or shouldn’t contribute. They assigned you a mentor on the board so that you talk about how meetings have gone and about your contributions, and to see if you could have asked a question in a better way or more constructively, which is really cool,” he says.
McIntyre says he’s had the opportunity to talk to other board members and they are keen to help and give good feedback. He says reading through board papers gives one a great insight into the dairy industry.
He says he applied for the role because he wanted to broaden his knowledge and experience in the area of governance.
McIntyre says his roles in Federated Farmers have mainly been in the area of representation and saw the associate director role as a great opportunity to build on that and gain new skills for future governance positions.
Already he is involved in two governance roles – as councillor for Fish and Game and as member of the Dairy Industry Awards Trust.
McIntyre says every year he endeavours to do some form of personal development and looking to the future he is keen to get on the Fonterra Governance Development Programme.
OPINION: Recent media commentary from Southland Federated Farmers has raised concerns among our rural communities, particularly around Environment Southland’s approach to winter grazing inspections and nitrogen reporting. But let’s be clear, much of what’s been said simply doesn’t reflect reality.
OPINION: Environment Canterbury's (ECan) decision recently to declare a so-called “nitrate emergency” is laughable.
A shameless political stunt is how Federated Farmers is describing the Canterbury Regional Council decision to declare “a nitrate emergency” on the back of its latest annual groundwater quality survey.
Federated Farmers say Environment Canterbury's decision to declare a 'nitrate emergency' is a shameless political stunt that won't help anyone.
Farmers want the Government to scrap controversial freshwater rules that "put river spirits and ideology ahead of practical water use", says Federated Farmers board member Mark Hooper.
According to ASB, Fonterra's plan to sell it's Anchor and Mainlands brands could inject $4.5 billion in additional spending into the economy.
New Zealand’s trade with the European Union has jumped $2 billion since a free trade deal entered into force in May last year.
The climate of uncertainty and market fragmentation that currently characterises the global economy suggests that many of the European agricultural machinery manufacturers will be looking for new markets.
Dignitaries from all walks of life – the governor general, politicians past and present, Maoridom- including the Maori Queen, church leaders, the primary sector and family and friends packed Our Lady of Kapiti’s Catholic church in Paraparaumu on Thursday October 23 to pay tribute to former prime Minister, Jim Bolger who died last week.
Agriculture and Forestry Minister, Todd McClay is encouraging farmers, growers, and foresters not to take unnecessary risks, asking that they heed weather warnings today.
With nearly two million underutilised dairy calves born annually and the beef price outlook strong, New Zealand’s opportunity to build a scalable dairy-beef system is now.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.
