I began my corporate career as an accountant with the then New Zealand Apple and Pear Marketing Board. I moved into management and leadership roles across manufacturing, IT, Tourism, the public sector and professional services. I held senior leadership roles, most recently with BDO Auckland, The Serious Fraud Office (SFO) and Grant Thornton Wellington. My area of expertise was delivering efficient corporate services, including Finance, HR, Marketing, Communications and Stakeholder Management, Strategic and Business Planning. Through my role with the SFO I built strong working relationships with key decision makers and influencers in the government sector.

In 2020 my husband and I purchased our avocado orchard in Katikati. This triggered a career change from the corporate world to working in and on the orchard, along with undertaking governance and consulting roles. I am actively involved in the avocado industry: I am on the Board of NZ Avocado (elected August 2023) and am the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. I am a Committee Member on the Apata Avocado Growers Committee (effective June 2025). I was a Grower Director on Trevelyans Avocado Growers Limited from September 2022 to June 2024. I belong to an informal growers’ forum designed to share experiences and best practices. I also attend as many industry events as possible to understand the complexity of avocado growing and marketing.

This involvement has informed our thinking on how to transform our orchard though adopting best practice orchard management to consistently produce quality fruit for the export and local market, as well as to be economically sustainable.

Through my experience in the avocado industry over the past five years, I have developed a deeper understanding of the issues facing the wider horticulture industry. The range of factors impacting on growers, including global markets, climate, policy and regulation, increasing costs and reduced grower returns, all speak to the need to understand how the industry/product groups can work together to advocate for a strong and sustainable horticulture industry and to find efficiencies.

I offer the ability to advocate for grower interests alongside my extensive commercial experience in navigating complexity and ambiguity, taking a practical and pragmatic approach to problem solving.

I am a Chartered Accountant and an ICC Accredited Coach. I have a BBS (major in Accounting and Finance) and a DipBS (major in Accounting) from Massey University, Palmerston North.