Mike Pretty

Non-Executive Chairman of Heinz Wattie’s

I hereby declare my interest in being considered for Board membership of HortNZ.

Wattie’s has 85 years of experience as a grower and producer of crop-based foods operating in Hawke’s Bay and Canterbury.

My career spans +30 years in the New Zealand food industry mostly within Heinz Wattie’s. Key roles include 6 years as Managing Director and 6 years as Marketing and R&D Director. For 5 years I held the global role responsible for Heinz Ketchup and Marketing Capability.

These roles have provided me with extensive experience managing vertically and horizontally within matrix organizations supplying the grocery trade here and around the globe.

I am presently Chairman of the NZ Food Grocery Council https://www.fgc.org.nz/ and on the Advisory Board of Foodeast https://www.foodeast.co.nz/

Partnering with the Heinz Wattie’s Agronomy team has been a key component of my roles; involvement in long term crop planning, managing environmental and water change issues, market access and trade remedies. Plus, interaction with government on multiple issues such as FTAs, labour, international freight, and border closures.

I see the Board role as an exciting opportunity to further engage in the future of plant-based food. HortNZ is at the heart of the country’s future food supply domestically and its export markets, a sector that employs some 60,000 people, and one that has a strong member mandate to help navigate the sector into that future.