5 minutes with Rob Hewett Do you feel the role of a Shareholder Director has changed as the co-operative has evolved and grown?
Farmlands Chairman Rob Hewett started in his new role at the conclusion of last month’s AGM.
I think the role has changed a lot over time – and not just specific to Farmlands. New Zealand’s agri-coops have gotten bigger and therefore the fiduciary duties and bottom line consequences have gotten bigger. The increasing expectations and responsibilities of governors is not exclusive to co-operatives – you can also point to the consequences associated with fiduciary duties through companies such as Mainzeal.
You have been on the Farmlands Board of Directors for 4 years. How has that time with the Board prepared you for the Chair role? Being a Director of Farmlands has given me a very good understanding of the business, the drivers and the people. My governance roles in other businesses have also played a part in preparing me for the challenge of the Farmlands Chair role. I’m looking forward to being able to utilise that experience and work with the skills around the Board table to help drive Farmlands forward with the management and staff.
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What this all means for Farmlands’ Directors is that the need to undertake governance development prior to coming into the role has been amplified. That is why we promote programmes such as To the Core. It is a key activity to identify and nurture future governance talent for the business and our rural communities.
forward to having Braveheart as the way we do business at Farmlands. What is the Board’s vision for the next 3 years? Our immediate focus is on getting Braveheart implemented and working solidly across the business. This is key and is the fundamental enabler for Farmlands. Beyond this, agriculture in New Zealand is at a transition point and I think it is fair to say that the transition we are starting to go through now, as a sector, will be as wide-ranging as the changes faced by many of our shareholders (or their parents) during the 1980s. Farmlands needs to be part of the solution set for that. That will mean focusing on carbon, water, nutrient management, alternative fuels, Internet of Things, sensors, technology and continuing to deliver the products and services our shareholders require, when they require them.
Braveheart will allow the co-operative to get closer to shareholders and customers and will deliver them timely, more aligned information and services suited to their needs.
6 | THE FARMLANDER
suited to their needs. I’m really looking
Farmlands has been on a journey of change for the past few years. How has this period prepared the co-operative for the future? The future is hugely exciting.
To do that, we need to be even closer to our customers than we are today. Timely, relevant data is the key to unlock this opportunity – hence Braveheart and FarmIQ. This journey is
Braveheart will be the underpinning enabler of Farmlands for the next generation. We know it is going to be very good for the business and our shareholder customers. The key will be to try to maximise its true value – we look forward to finding out how good it can be.
going to be hugely enabling on-farm
Braveheart will allow the co-operative to get closer to shareholders and customers and will deliver them timely, more aligned information and services
using the right stuff, at the right time,
– but quite daunting. I heard a quote recently which said when it comes to farm data, it was like trying to drink from a fire hydrant. We are going to have to be very disciplined with the data that we use – we need to be measuring and working with shareholders to deliver timely and relevant information to make better informed business decisions.
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