Rising Star: Young employee of the year

When Tim Batchelor isn’t out catching waves on the Canterbury coast, he’s riding a surging career wave with Foodstuffs, knuckling down and showing exceptional talent and leadership at just 22-years-old.

THAT’S WHY TIM is this year’s Rising Star Young Employee of the Year (sponsored by DRD Consulting), acknowledged for his efforts with Foodstuffs and the career progress he has achieved in what has been a matter of a few years with the distribution giant in Hornby.

And for Tim, who was simply minding his own business supervising his daily team of 10 employees (entirely oblivious to any awards function), the award certainly hit him from left field - leaving him speechless and “mighty proud”.

“Honestly, it was kind of crazy being in that room for the awards evening, surrounded by the who’s who of the industry. My heart was pounding when they were announcing the recipients, and when they said my name, it was such a surreal moment,” Tim said.

Initially leaving school and taking up computer science and astrophysics at the University of Canterbury, it didn’t take long for Tim to realise the lecture hall wasn’t for him - prompting him to look for a new direction. And what better way to start with Foodstuffs than joining the crew as a store person in the chillers?

Taking little time to find his groove and understand the industry, Tim began to show immense promise and before long had worked his way through the ranks, first taking on the position of Inward Goods Supervisor, before moving into his present role as Supervisor of two departments in the Temperature Control Distribution Centre, located adjacent to the Foodstuffs South Island Distribution Centre in Hornby.

Adding to his credentials, Tim was fortunate enough to find himself being mentored by Nick Barnes – the current Supply Chain GM for Foodstuffs South Island – a beneficial opportunity and one that he remains eternally grateful for.

“To have Nick as my mentor and have him in my corner, it’s incredible. It’s amazing to be able to gain some great insights from his experience and learn really useful information from him, which will help me reach my goals to move into a senior leadership role down the track,” Tim said. “For now though, it’s about getting back to the warehouse, grinding away, building my skills and biding my time. I have always had my sights set pretty high, but first, I really want to set myself up for the future and that may mean taking on some more qualifications such as a supply chain degree and/or a diploma of sorts. Whatever is next, I think it’s an exciting chapter ahead.” Outside of work, Tim loves to surf and often finds himself out at his favourite hotspots before work. He also enjoys playing country cricket with his older brother and in recent months has taken on golf, too. “It’s fair to say I don’t like having too much downtime, and where possible, I try and pack my weekends up as much as possible – that’s just the kind of person I am. “My partner and I have been together for six and a half years, and with her career as a florist, we often go out foraging around the red zone or out on the farm. There’s always something to keep us busy. She’s actually been such a huge support to me and my rock, particularly on those days that seem pretty tough. It’s been great to talk things through and that’s been a real key to this, so as well as my family, friends and managers, I really want to acknowledge her support.” So, with such a fantastic accolade now under his belt, Tim has put down a clear marker as one to watch going forward - and no doubt, this won’t be the last time his name will be up in lights.

Rising Star Young Employee of the Year: Tim Batchelor