Wool Industry Network Board Appointments

Wool Industry Network Board Appointments

The Board of Directors of the Canterbury-based Wool Industry Network was announced today. The Network is a major initiative to develop a market-led fresh approach to New Zealand’s $1-billion wool industry.

Professional director and former National President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Sue Sheldon will head the Network. Sue is also a director of Freightways, CanWest MediaWorks, Smiths City Group and a number of other companies.

Meat & Wool New Zealand is committing $3.2 million to the Network over the next three years and New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, through its Major Regional Initiatives Programme (MRI) is providing a total of $2 million over three years.

Effectively, the network will run as a consortium of funding agencies from the wool production, supply and processing sectors as well as the key wool service sector providers. It will create and oversee cluster projects, each with specific outcomes.

The Board membership was announced today by Meat & Wool New Zealand deputy chairman Mike Petersen. Mr Petersen has been chairing the steering committee which had the role to find and appoint the board of directors and a Chief Executive.

“All of these roles are crucial for the success of the Wool Industry Network. Given that the Network is funded by farmer levy payers and government, and our desire to work closely with industry we were looking for special skill sets”.

“We wanted a small and dynamic board. We wanted people who have a passion about New Zealand and who know the export sector. We wanted people who have governance experience, people who have vision and people who have competent management skills.”

“I am confident that we have found these skill sets in those we are appointing today” he said.

The other directors of the Network will be Stuart Nattrass, John Perriam, Keith Sutton and Mr Petersen.

Stuart Nattrass has an extensive background in international financial markets and foreign exchange risk management and is involved in farming. He has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science with Honours from Lincoln University. Stuart currently sits on a number of agri-business boards.

John Perriam farms Bendigo Station and Chaired Merino NZ throughout its formative years until 2001. He gained national and international media attention with his hermit shaggy Merino Shrek, who he has now turned into a New Zealand charity icon. In 1993 John established an international vertically integrated wool growing partnership. John received a Queen’s Honour in 2001 when he was appointed a Member New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the wool industry. More recently he has established one of Central Otago’s leading winegrowing sub regions at Bendigo, and has become a mentor for the Ice House aimed at growing small and medium size businesses in New Zealand.

Keith Sutton’s background is in investment banking, corporate finance, and strategic decision-making. Keith has both farming and forestry interests and has a BA in economics and accountancy. He is also a director of the Animal Health Board, Sealord and a number of other companies.

Mike Petersen is an award winning farmer from Waipukurau, and the Deputy Chairman of Meat and Wool New Zealand. He is also a director of the New Zealand Meat Board and the Chairman of the Wool Research Organisation of New Zealand. Mike also has farming interests in the Gisborne area, and is a director of the Pakarae Whangara B5 Maori farming partnership north of Gisborne.

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