Nominations open for Director Elections

Shareholders interested in joining the Farmlands Board of Directors are invited to put their hands up for this year’s Director Elections.

Two seats – one North Island and one South Island – are being contested. Farmlands Directors Dawn Sangster and Gray Baldwin are retiring by rotation in 2021 and both have indicated they are standing for re-election. There are set criteria for any shareholder interested in becoming a Farmlands Director. Eligible candidates must reside in the island for which they are seeking election, have been a trading Farmlands shareholder for at least 3 years and need to be nominated by at least two other shareholders resident in the same island as the candidate. Farmlands Chairman Rob Hewett says having a say in governance is crucial to the success of the co-operative. “Having high-calibre shareholder representatives is critical not only to Farmlands but all rural co-operatives,” Rob says. “We have made tremendous strides in growing the talent pool of rural governance, alongside Silver Fern Farms, through the To The Core programme. “The talent is there and it is always pleasing to see prominent and capable shareholders putting their hands up for these elections. All of our shareholders are business owners and the ongoing success of Farmlands factors into the wellbeing of their own business. “Standing in a Director Election is a thorough process, designed to showcase critical thinking and ability. It is also a very rewarding process, and if we are to continue to develop our next generation of leaders we want shareholders to ask questions, engage and, just as importantly, vote.” Last year’s Director Elections completed a 3-year cycle to implement changes to the Board’s structure. From this year’s Director Elections, there will be one North Island and one South Island Shareholder Director retiring by rotation every year. Shareholders with 500 or more $1 shares are eligible to vote in this year’s Director Elections. Voting packs will be sent by email once the nominees are confirmed. While voting is primarily done by email, postal votes are accepted.

WANT TO KNOW MORE?

Shareholders wanting to learn more about becoming a Farmlands Shareholder Director can request a nomination pack by calling the election helpline on 0800 666 047 or emailing iro@electionz.com. Nominations close at 5pm on Thursday 26 August 2021.