Board
We are governed by an nine-member board elected by members.
President: Gavin Kerr
(Nufarm)
With a diverse agricultural background, Gavin’s focus is ensuring that the crop protection and animal health industries continue to deliver innovative solutions for our farmers and growers.
“It's a privilege to work in an industry that helps farmers and growers to provide healthy and nutritious food as it continues to strive for sustainable outcomes for our people, animals and the environment.
"There is no better industry to work in than agriculture,” states Gavin.
Gavin manages the Nufarm New Zealand business where he enjoys developing great teams, driving strategic innovations, solving problems, creating value-added customer solutions, and developing planned and proactive solutions for a rapidly changing industry.
Having started his career as an agronomist, he has first-hand experience of the value these solutions can provide for growers in the field. This experience has helped him to keep the end-user front of mind when developing any innovative solutions and opportunities.
Gavin is a chartered member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and has a Master of Agribusiness from the University of Melbourne.
Outside of work, he is kept busy with a young family of four who thoroughly enjoy the amazing number of outdoor activities and sports on offer in New Zealand.
Gavin is driven by progression in all that he undertakes, both professionally and personally.
Immediate Past President: Vacant
Manufacturer representatives
Richard Brenton-Rule
(Corteva Agriscience)
Richard was appointed General Manager of Corteva Agriscience in June 2022. He is also an acting director for the New Zealand business. This followed three years as National Sales Manager, a role he stepped into on the formation of Corteva Agriscience in 2019.
Richard has a life-long connection with agriculture, having been raised on a sheep & beef farming operation in Hawke's Bay. He went on to complete a Bachelor of Horticulture with Honours in Technology at Massey University.
Over the next three decades Richard served in several product development, agronomy, sales and leadership roles. His experience in the primary industries includes crop and food research, genetic technologies (Pioneer brand seeds), PGG Wrightson Seeds and then PGG Wrightson Rural Supplies, before joining Dow AgroSciences in 2012.
Richard brings a broad range of experience in, and connection to, the wider agricultural manufacturing and distribution channel. His collaborative nature means that he relishes working with representatives and groups across the sector to ensure progress for the greater good.
“I see Animal and Plant Health NZ becoming increasingly important to ensure our sector is appropriately represented with an aligned voice, and that we enable our collective ability to serve the changing needs of NZ’s food & fibre markets as well as our local producers, in a sustainable and competitive way”.
Fraser Hodgson
(Virbac)
(BApplSc, PGDipBusAdmin, GDipSC, PGDipInt’lSelling, Chartered Inst.D)
Raised on a sheep and beef farm in rural Manawatu, Fraser has almost two decades of senior leadership experience in veterinary pharmaceutical and health research organisations across Europe, North America and Asia.
He is the Director and General Manager of Virbac NZ with responsibility for industrial and commercial operations as well as research and development functions.
"I have an appreciation for the importance of long-term product stewardship in highly regulated markets, and I am motivated to make a positive contribution to the future of our industry and the primary sector in New Zealand," Fraser says.
Nicola Smith
(Syngenta)
Nicola is the New Zealand Regional Manager for Syngenta. She enjoys being part of an exciting local industry that plays such a vital role to support the export of NZ produce.
She graduated from Massey University with a Bachelor of Business Studies and has an agricultural career spanning over 20 years in marketing, sales, manufacturing and product development within the crop protection industry – as well as animal health. This broad career has developed a strong skill set in communication, management, innovation and strategic thinking.
Nicola has also worked for Nufarm NZ and represented the crop protection industry on the board of the Pasture Renewal Charitable Trust for five years, gaining experience in governance, political influence, collaboration and 'industry good' strategy.
Nicola takes a keen interest in the environmental, social and political challenges that are facing our industry from a regional and global perspective.
David MacGibbon
(Grosafe)
David has worked in our industry for most of his career - as a distributor and manufacturer. As well as the Chief Executive of Grosafe Chemicals Ltd, a NZ-owned manufacturer member, he is a qualified Chartered Director, an Associate Fellow of the Institute of Managers and Leaders (NZ), and has served on a number of boards - both commercial and not for profit.
David utilises his industry and governance experience to support the activities of our executive, secretariat and board.
With the recent formation of Animal and Plant Health NZ, it is a pivotal and exciting time in our 74-year history. David’s priorities are to focus engagement to help drive improved regulator performance, enable legislative frameworks to support members’ R&D capabilities, and environmental sustainability. David utlitises his experience and passion to progress these components of our strategy and direction.
Distributor member representatives:
Darryl Stretton
(Farmlands)
Darryl represents a collective of industry members across New Zealand’s food and fibre sector in pursuit of driving outcomes and ensuring the right advocacy prevails for our industry.
He is strongly connected across New Zealand Ag and hort value chains and is in tune with where markets are heading and what change is required to ensure we remain world leaders in what we do.
As Head of Merchandise for Farmlands Co-operative, he is entrusted with all that constitutes agronomy across the organisation.
Aaron Gordon
(PGG Wrightson)
Aaron has worked in the rural sector since 1991, with all but 2 ½ of those 32 years in rural supplies in New Zealand and Australia, where he held various roles including sales, category management, regional management, operations and procurement.
In January 2023, he returned to the rural supplies sector via PGG Wrightson where he leads the retail supply chain and retail quality assurance teams. In this role, Aaron oversees the retail supply chain strategy, the day-to-day running of the crop protection and animal health categories, as well as supporting the Rural Supplies and Fruitfed Supplies quality assurance programmes.
Associate member representative:
Melanie Walker
(Zespri International)
Mel is the Orchard Quality Services Manager; Managing the team for the pre harvest programmes – Crop Protection, Residue and IPM for Zespri.
Mel has a deep understanding of how changing regulations affect every aspect of the growing season for New Zealand kiwifruit growers (as end users of agrichemicals). Mel is passionate about ensuring appropriate representation for growers in support of the agchem industry. She is confident that, by working together, we can collectively achieve the best outcomes for growers.
Mel has a family background in Australian sheep farming and NZ market garden horticulture. She also owns an avocado orchard. Mel says that growers are severely under-represented in the rapidly changing regulatory environment, and this is something that needs to be addressed.
At an industry level, Mel aims to create transparent relationships between growers and agchem suppliers and enhance co-operative and collaborative working relationships between them.
Co-opted members:
Ed Catherwood
(Agrihealth)
Ed was Chair of ARPPA for eight years before our two associations merged in 2022. He is also the Managing Director and owner of veterinary medicine marketer and distributor AgriHealth NZ.
