Prominent rural leader Jessie Chan has been appointed as an independent director to the NZPork board.
Ms Chan, who lives in Rakaia in mid-Canterbury, has an honours degree in animal science and wide-ranging experience in central government, local government, non-profit and commercial organisations.
She is currently chair of RuralCo Ltd, serves on the board of Bioprotection Aotearoa and is a Trustee of Meat the Need. Ms Chan was previously on the boards of Ngāi Tahu Farming, Alpine Energy, Connetics, Business Mid Canterbury and Federated Farmers Mid Canterbury. She was also an associate director with DairyNZ.
Ms Chan became a member of the NZ Order of Merit this year, for services to dairy and agriculture.
She has completed the Fonterra Governance Development Programme and Stanford University’s Te Hono Bootcamp. She was named Dairy Woman of the Year in 2017 and received the Women in Governance Award for Inspiring Governance Leader in 2021.
She said she was excited to be joining the NZPork board.
“This is a challenging time for pig farmers and the industry. The sector has significant concerns about the impractical regulations in the draft Code of Welfare and a growing wave of imported pork produced using practices that are illegal in this country.
“NZPork is certainly up for the challenge, advocating hard on behalf of our farmers and pressing for food security to be maintained for all New Zealanders.
“New Zealand’s pork sector is a small but proud industry with a strong environmental record. It is important to ensure that the sector can thrive and that pig farmers can continue to provide nutritious high quality New Zealand born and raised pork, farmed to high welfare standards.”
Meanwhile, former National Party MP and Deputy Speaker Eric Roy has been re-appointed as an independent director and chairman of NZPork.
