NZ’s future lies with agriculture
Jaime Heywood is happy to admit he was ‘blown away’ by the scale of New Zealand’s seed industry when he joined Barenbrug as finance director 16 years ago.
Jaime Heywood, third from the right, with the new senior leadership team Courtney Inch, Jill Lu, Linda Redmond, Richard Merrilees, Jo Brady and Jake Gardner.
“It was like a hidden secret. I had no idea!”
It didn’t take long to learn the contribution proprietary pasture makes to the country’s most important export earner.
And now, as newly appointed managing director for Barenbrug, he’s taken the reins of an industry leader firmly committed to bettering NZ pastoral production.
“This country is built on the agricultural sector, and that’s where our future still lies.”
With eyes set on a career in finance from as early as primary school, Heywood spent 10 years in the public sector after graduating from Canterbury University with a Master of Commerce.
He was working as a senior accounting analyst in the airline industry when the chance arose to join Barenbrug, and says like many people who don’t come from an agri background, he didn’t realise how rich the sector was in professional opportunities until he was part of it.
Opportunities are one thing, however; organisational culture and mentorship are another, and in his case, both have been instrumental in keeping him in both the ag sector in general, and at Barenbrug in particular.
“I’ve had great mentors here. Murray Willocks was chief executive when I arrived, and he encouraged me to get involved across the business.
“John Duncan as operations manager also really supported me and helped me learn about the industry. He was really good. So too have been the wider Barenbrug family. I enjoy the culture they bring to the group, and the culture that we have here in NZ as part of that global group.”
The NZ business, originally established in 1987, has long focussed on advancing the productivity and performance of many different pasture species for both dairy and red meat farmers, and Heywood says it will continue to do so as agricultural market, climatic, environmental and social conditions evolve.
“We’re pretty clear on what our mission in NZ is – we’re here to help farmers thrive. That’s the key driver for the whole team, and it’s a real strength for us.
“We have a proud history of bringing top level products to the market, including cultivars like Bronsyn, Tabu, Masxyn, Shogun and Forge which have made a real difference to on-farm performance.”
Aligned with heavy investment in research and development, both globally and locally, is a strong focus on industry good, and sustainability, he says.
“We’ve been making sure our breeding objectives include sustainable outcomes for a long time, which has led to cultivars like Array, with its nitrogen use efficiency gains.
“But just as important is how farmers use our products and systems to help meet primary sector regulations, which have changed tremendously since I started.
“Bringing products to market that help keep farmers profitable and productive as conditions continue to change in the future is the heart of our business.”
From a greater industry perspective, it’s also vital that NZ dairying in particular is recognised for being fuelled by pastoral systems that are among the lowest greenhouse gas emissions farming systems in the world, he says.
“The beauty of pasture compared to bought in feed is that you graze it, it re-grows and you can graze it again. That’s our huge advantage as an industry; we need to protect it, and sell that story.”
Heywood took over the managing director role from Michael Hales, who moved to Barenbrug UK late last year, and heads a new senior leadership team which includes Courtney Inch, Jake Gardner, Jill Lu, Linda Redmond, Richard Merrilees and Jo Brady.