Career Experience

After graduating from Lincoln University (B Agricultural Science), Tim joined The Treasury, working in the agricultural and trade policy areas before moving to the NZ Freezing Companies Association and the NZ Meat Exporters Council as Secretary / Economist. This was the start of a career in the New Zealand meat industry, based both in New Zealand and Europe.

Roles undertaken in the 1980’s included General Manager for the meat exporter Towers International, successive sales and marketing management, and then corporate positions for the public company Waitaki International, including Corporate Development Manager and a period in London as Managing Director, Europe.

In the 1990’s, following a period in the shipping industry with P&O Containers NZ (General Manager Marketing and Commercial) he was appointed Managing Director of the specialist meat processing and export company, Advanced Foods of New Zealand (now Bernard Matthews NZ).

Tim has also held a number of general management positions with the New Zealand Meat Board (Corporate Affairs; and International), together with, in 1999, a three year posting to Brussels where he was responsible for Meat New Zealand’s European market development and market access activities and general representation for the New Zealand meat industry in Europe.

On his return to New Zealand in 2003, he provided consultancy services, primarily to Meat New Zealand and Meat & Wool New Zealand (M&WNZ). This included project lead services to the successful Farmer’s Choice Referendum, the ensuing consolidation of industry-good activity onto a new single organisation, M&WNZ, that organisation’s raising of commodity levies and the legislative change process which saw the New Zealand Meat Board’s statutory activities consolidated on to quota and reserves management only.

He then held a 20 month fixed term contract position with M&WNZ as Corporate Strategy Director. On the completion of this assignment in May 2006, he returned to providing full time consultancy services, now channelled through Tanner Ritchie & Co.

Expertise

Tim has broad strategic, relationship building, facilitation and general management skills with a particular interest in the agribusiness and export sectors.

Assignments undertaken over the last year include the provision of advisory services to a rapidly expanding manuka honey production and exporting business, facilitation and then management of joint venture arrangements with manuka land owners, facilitation and advisory work for various meat industry commercial interests, producing a 10 year forecast on the NZ meat industry for a European based international food consultancy, assistance with fundraising work for a not for profit agricultural organisation and work for commercial interests in the animal id and traceability area.

Tim is married (with three adult children), lives in Wellington but maintains personal farming interests in coastal Wairarapa.