Richardson, now chair of NZ Merino company, was quick to take down a detractor who implied the company’s management is greedy and guilty of self-enrichment. Marlborough merino grower Ron Small, a founding director of NZM, said in an open letter to shareholders that there were issues within the company that needed to be addressed. However, Ruthless Ruth was having none of this and in a letter dismissing Small’s criticisms she pointed out that original executive shareholdings were unanimously supported by the board at the time “of which Mr Small was a director”. Ouch!
