FMG AGM 2023
FMG’s 118th Annual General Meeting was held in Cromwell on Friday, 25 August.
Sarah von Dadelszen | Board Chair
Sarah has spent the last 22 years in a variety of agricultural and energy related governance and leadership roles. These positions have been with organisations that are committed to maintaining strong communities, particularly in the rural sector. These include the New Zealand Beef Council, Fonterra Shareholders Council, and New Zealand Young Farmers. Currently, Sarah sits on the Ballance Agri-Nutrients Board and Centralines Ltd. Sarah also owns farming businesses with sheep and beef, and dairy interests.
Geoff Copstick
Geoff served as CFO of the Gallagher Group in Hamilton for nine years and is now an independent director on the Gallagher board and Chair of Gallagher's Audit and Risk Committee. He is an independent director of the Otinga Roa group of technology companies based in Rangitikei. Geoff was chair of Childfund New Zealand and was Independent Chair of Audit Risk and Investments for both Northland Regional and Kaipara District Councils. Geoff and his wife farm cattle and angora goats on 250 acres in Northland.
Debbie Hewitt
Debbie’s governance experience has always been aligned to the advancement of New Zealand’s food and fibre sectors. She has a proven background in both private and public sector governance. Current directorships include FMG Insurance, ROP2, a Rockit apple investor syndicate, and her community focus includes being deputy chair for Cranford Foundation Trust. Previous governance roles include serving as a Hawke’s Bay Regional Councillor and holding director positions for Hawke’s Bay Regional Investment Company and Horticulture New Zealand. Debbie was the co-founder of Hewitt Livestock Ltd and continues to run her family farm in Central Hawkes Bay.
Sinead Horgan
Sinead trained as a Chartered Accountant and has over 20 years’ consulting and financial services experience. Sinead has held senior roles in strategy, M&A/private equity and commercial banking across Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia, and Aotearoa/ New Zealand. Sinead is a director as well as chair of audit and risk on several businesses including Bank of China, Eco Central, Leighs Construction, Fuse It and Rakon. She is also a trustee of the Māia Health Foundation and Assistance Dogs NZ Trust.
Sarah Smith
Sarah is a Financial Services professional with over 30 years’ experience, 15 of which have been in senior roles within the Insurance Sector and Technology. She has extensive experience in business development, information technology, digital transformation, strategic development, project governance and risk management. She also has a strong working knowledge of the regulatory requirements for Insurance companies. Sarah is currently a Director of Partners Life Ltd and Metis Consulting Ltd.
Murray Taggart
Murray and his family farm arable crops near Oxford in North Canterbury, following his early career with ANZ Bank. He was a Nuffield Scholar in 1996 and was awarded the Tasman Region FMG Rural Excellence Award in 2006. Murray has been heavily involved across the primary sector with past roles as National Meat and Fibre Chair of Federated Farmers and as a director of number of companies across the rural sector, including Ballance Agri-Nutrients Ltd and CRT Society Ltd. Currently he chairs Alliance Group Ltd and Taumata Plantations Ltd.
Simon Hopcroft
Simon runs a dairy farming operation in Southland, is a former Fonterra Cooperative Councillor and was winner of the 2004 Young Farmer of the Year contest. Simon has completed various governance and leadership courses including Fonterra’s ‘Governance Development Programme’ and Farmlands ‘To the Core’ programme. He has also been a trustee on the Southland Rural Support Trust for the past six years. Through Simon’s farming experience, he understands the current risks and challenges facing many businesses and rural communities.
Nicola Shadbolt
Nicola Shadbolt is Chair of Plant & Food Crown Research Institute and serves on the Executive Committee and the Board of the International Food & Agribusiness Association and the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre Ltd. She is a voluntary appointed board member on Cooperative Business New Zealand, was an elected member of the Fonterra Board for nine years and served as a Climate Change Commissioner for three years. Nicola is a Professor of Farm and Agribusiness Management at Massey University and managing director of three farming and forestry equity partnerships based in the Manawatu. She was made an officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to agribusiness in 2018.
