Beef + Lamb New Zealand has appointed Mark Polson an associate director to its board, commencing November 1.
Polson runs Waipuna Farms, his family’s sheep and beef farming business, which has 25,000 stock across three properties in the Whanganui region.
After a decade of corporate and general management roles in the New Zealand agribusiness sector, Polson decided to return to the grassroots of farming his family farm.
“I am looking forward to developing my governance skills through the associate director role and bringing my experience to add value at a national level through our key industry body, as we navigate to grow and sustain a profitable future for our sector,” Polson said.
The associate director role is for a one-year term and was established to give aspiring leaders in the agricultural sector the chance to observe and participate in governance.
Beef + Lamb NZ (BLNZ) chair Kate Acland said Polson will be a welcome addition to the team.
“We had a strong response to our call for applications to this fixed-term role and were really impressed by the calibre of young leaders looking to step up and help in the governance of our sector.
“Mark will bring a mix of hands-on farming experience along with a strong background in agricommerce. His collaborative leadership and strategic thinking skills, coupled with a passion to further our rural communities, will be a great addition to the BLNZ board and we hope this experience will help him further his ambitions to serve our sector.
“Mark joins seven other hands-on farmers on our board, and we are looking forward to working with him.”
