Ōpōtiki grower wins 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award
Brett Wotton, an Eastern Bay of Plenty kiwifruit grower and harvest contractor, has won the 2025 Kiwifruit Innovation Award for his work to support lifting fruit quality across the industry.
Te Brake succeeds Daniel Mathieson who is leaving Zespri to join Driscoll’s from July 1.
Zespri Chairman Nathan Flowerday says Te Brake is an outstanding executive with the strong commercial and stakeholder management experience Zespri was looking for.
“He has a clear strategic vision to help Zespri and the industry achieve its immense potential and the operational expertise to ensure we do so.
“He has done an outstanding job of leading our global supply chain and the New Zealand supply business as our Chief Operating Officer. He has also delivered exceptional results based off detailed planning and execution as the industry responded to the recent quality challenges and then reset to deliver a record crop this year.
“There is significant and growing demand for Zespri Kiwifruit which will add real value to our industry and communities. Zespri has a strong strategy in place as we pursue that, with Jason able to provide the vision and continuity as well as the knowledge of our industry to deliver on that.”
Te Brake says the opportunity to lead Zespri is an honour.
“I am hugely passionate and energised about the opportunities for the industry and it’s a real honour and privilege to be able to lead Zespri.
“The kiwifruit industry has an outstanding track record of success, off the back of quality people, a world-class product and strategy and a commitment to innovating and tackling challenges together. It is one of New Zealand’s great success stories and I am incredibly fortunate to be following in the footsteps of, and working alongside, some of the industry’s outstanding leaders.
“My focus will be on leading the Zespri team to capture the significant demand opportunities in market, on strengthening our supply chain and operational performance to maximise value in market and on ensuring we return as much of that value back to growers as possible.
“I’d like to thank Nathan and the Board for the faith they have shown in me and also thank Dan Mathieson for his guidance and mentorship. Dan has been an outstanding leader for Zespri, helping turn us into a world class sales and marketing organisation which is able to deliver significant value for our growers and our communities.”
Flowerday also acknowledged Mathieson’s immense contribution to Zespri.
“Dan has been a world class leader at Zespri and has led the industry through both strong growth and considerable challenges. He’s someone who has a genuine care for people and our industry and we wish him every success in his new role at Driscoll’s,” Flowerday says.
