October 1, 2025 • 7 mins
The Zanda McDonald Award applications are open, so we catch up with 2023 winner Harriet Bremner-Pinckney, who is a new judge this year, alongside current judge Mark Ferguson.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
October is application month for the wonderful prestigious Xander McDonald
Award and to look at this fabulous trans Tasman Award.
We're joined by current judge Mark Ferguson and new judge
twenty twenty three winner recipient Harriet Bremner Pickney. Welcome team.
How are you both?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah? Got thank you Homus.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Great to have you here. Mark. Let's just for those
who are the uninformed about the Zenda McDonald Award. Just
how prestigious is this award?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Well, we think it's yeah, the top of top of
the game. I guess it's been an award that was
established over a decade ago now and the winners, I
guess speak for themselves. It's been some amazing people will
come together and as part of the awards, So it's yeah,
I think it's Australasia's biggest award in act.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yep, I'd agree with that, Harriet. What did it mean
and do for you? Becau because it's far greater and
more encompassing than just winning the award itself. I mean
it's ongoing, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Absolutely, And look it's one of those things that even
a couple of years forward from winning the award. Now
you still pinch yourself and thank my goodness. How lucky
am I to be part of this incredible alumni and
network of people, And it just continues to open doors
create the largest network of incredible people that you can
(01:27):
lean on, bounce ideas off, pick up the phone ring
any time you please, and everybody's just there for everyone.
And it's not something that money could buy. It really
just is an extremely priceless network to be a part of.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Absolutely, when you say alumni and network and just being
able to pick up the phone, the hair stands up
on the back of my neck.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Mark.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Look, you know, something obviously very special to be part of.
What is the application process and when we're in this
that this is happening over this month, how and when
and how do people get involved?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
So yeah, I guess the best way is go straight
to this Animy Donald website and the application process is
pretty clear from there. But yeah, submitting a written application
and short video is a combination. So people have already
expressed their interest, but now it's time to send in
the written application as well as that short video. And
I can't sort of stress enough how important that that
(02:20):
video is as a judge. That's a little snaptot you
get to see of that person. So it's really important
to get both that written bit and in that short
video pretty clear about what you're about.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Yes, Mark, so how competitive and what sort of numbers
of people apply?
Speaker 3 (02:38):
We get sort of, yes, thirty to fifty I guess
on each side of the ditch, but I guess yes,
super competitive. Now it's Yeah, when I sort of look
at the applications coming through, I'm very glad I'm judging it,
not trying to not trying to win. But yeah, that's
an amazing level of people that we've got associated with
the awarden, that want to be associated.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
With the award or with the cream Della Cream. So, Harryt,
why would somebody apply? I mean, what's the real magic here?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, So applying for the award itself and the initial
process that Mark just mentioned with the written application in
the video is an incredibly good reflection on where you're
at within both your personal and business life. And I
think that you've obviously got absolutely nothing to lose by applying,
You've got everything to gain, which is really really exciting.
(03:28):
What I found with that is that you can really
open up your mind to what you want to achieve
moving forward, and I think the judges are really looking
for people that are already doing so they're giving things
a crack, having a go. Really forward thinking, open minded
people who want to achieve great things, not just for
themselves as a person, but for the industry as a whole.
(03:51):
And I think that really comes across with the applicants
that they have there. Maybe their day to day business
that they're part of, but they're doing these other things
that are over and above what you regular person might
be doing within their job. And I think that's what
the award is looking for as somebody that's got to
that point where they've been trying new things and are
starting something amazing, but they've got to that point where
(04:13):
they really need some support around them to help take
it to the next level.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah, the next level. I like that. We're talking to
prestigious Xander McDonald war trans Tasman Egg Award that has
been going now ten years markets It is more than
an award. It's obviously a really growing family of like minded,
diverse people just you know, just out there striving for
the good of egg.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Yeah, one hundred percent, and family is the exact word
we use a lot in their ord and thinking about
it because that's where it is. When you get to
when we do meet up once a year, which is
just the best cup of days. You can imagine. It
is like a family or reunion. And I guess that
family gets kind of younger and cooler every year because
we've got the alumni coming in. So it sort of
start obviously as a group of a group of established
(05:00):
people in the industry that were awarding it to young people.
But now all those alumni there and that network and
watching those people and being part of that network is
just phenomenal. You've got they the top of the game
across a whole leabe of sort of generations. Now.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, and I'm mister mcmanaway. Shane. He's obviously greatly influenced
because he gets younger and cooler by the year, and
certainly this is one of his one of his great highlights.
On Harrett. You won in twenty twenty three, and you've
actually just completed some of your professional development as part
of the award, Yes, I have.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
So I chose to complete the Rabobank Executive Development program
over in Sydney, which has run in two blocks over
a two year period, so you go over to Sydney
for a week each year, and again it is just
something that you know, it's not an opportunity I would
have been able to take part in had I not
(05:54):
had the connections from the award and met all the
people that I met. But the EDP course in itself
is an extremely deep dive into business and personal and
you are in a room with forty other farmers from
across Australia and New Zealand who are all at different
stages within their careers, whether they're at the stage where
they're working through succession challenges, whether they are just taking
(06:18):
over their property and starting out at the beginning, and
so it's incredibly powerful to be in a room with that.
And they do like in the EEDP course to being
a mini MBA and it's the only thing that is
attached to agriculture in that sense. So it's an intense course.
It really challenges your thinking and challenges where you're at
(06:38):
in business and where you're going to go forward from there.
My husband joined me for the last part this year
for the Partner program, so we were able to sit
down together and you look at everything from your personality
testing and how each of your personalities can fit into
your business, and where you should be best placed within
your business and how you can make that work in
(06:59):
the best way, which is very interesting for a husband
and wife team to figure that out about themselves, especially
when you're living and working in close context, as farmers
tend to. But yeah, again, just so much learning from
that and a lot to take away that you can
actually practically apply to your everyday life.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Fabulous stuff. Thank you very much, Mark Ferguson and Harriet
Bremner pick me there, our judges and a former winner
of the prestigious Xander McDonald Award here on the country
October is application month for the wonderful prestigious Xander McDonald
Award and to look at this fabulous trans Tasman Award.
We're joined by current judge Mark Ferguson and new judge
twenty twenty three winner recipient Harriet Bremner Pickney. Welcome team.
How are you both?
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Yeah? Got thank you Homus.
Speaker 1 (00:23):
Great to have you here. Mark. Let's just for those
who are the uninformed about the Zenda McDonald Award. Just
how prestigious is this award?
Speaker 3 (00:35):
Well, we think it's yeah, the top of top of
the game. I guess it's been an award that was
established over a decade ago now and the winners, I
guess speak for themselves. It's been some amazing people will
come together and as part of the awards, So it's yeah,
I think it's Australasia's biggest award in act.
Speaker 1 (00:55):
Yep, I'd agree with that, Harriet. What did it mean
and do for you? Becau because it's far greater and
more encompassing than just winning the award itself. I mean
it's ongoing, isn't it.
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Oh?
Speaker 2 (01:07):
Absolutely, And look it's one of those things that even
a couple of years forward from winning the award. Now
you still pinch yourself and thank my goodness. How lucky
am I to be part of this incredible alumni and
network of people, And it just continues to open doors
create the largest network of incredible people that you can
(01:27):
lean on, bounce ideas off, pick up the phone ring
any time you please, and everybody's just there for everyone.
And it's not something that money could buy. It really
just is an extremely priceless network to be a part of.
Speaker 3 (01:41):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:42):
Absolutely, when you say alumni and network and just being
able to pick up the phone, the hair stands up
on the back of my neck.
Speaker 3 (01:47):
Mark.
Speaker 1 (01:48):
Look, you know, something obviously very special to be part of.
What is the application process and when we're in this
that this is happening over this month, how and when
and how do people get involved?
Speaker 3 (02:00):
So yeah, I guess the best way is go straight
to this Animy Donald website and the application process is
pretty clear from there. But yeah, submitting a written application
and short video is a combination. So people have already
expressed their interest, but now it's time to send in
the written application as well as that short video. And
I can't sort of stress enough how important that that
(02:20):
video is as a judge. That's a little snaptot you
get to see of that person. So it's really important
to get both that written bit and in that short
video pretty clear about what you're about.
Speaker 1 (02:32):
Yes, Mark, so how competitive and what sort of numbers
of people apply?
Speaker 3 (02:38):
We get sort of, yes, thirty to fifty I guess
on each side of the ditch, but I guess yes,
super competitive. Now it's Yeah, when I sort of look
at the applications coming through, I'm very glad I'm judging it,
not trying to not trying to win. But yeah, that's
an amazing level of people that we've got associated with
the awarden, that want to be associated.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
With the award or with the cream Della Cream. So, Harryt,
why would somebody apply? I mean, what's the real magic here?
Speaker 2 (03:07):
Yeah, So applying for the award itself and the initial
process that Mark just mentioned with the written application in
the video is an incredibly good reflection on where you're
at within both your personal and business life. And I
think that you've obviously got absolutely nothing to lose by applying,
You've got everything to gain, which is really really exciting.
(03:28):
What I found with that is that you can really
open up your mind to what you want to achieve
moving forward, and I think the judges are really looking
for people that are already doing so they're giving things
a crack, having a go. Really forward thinking, open minded
people who want to achieve great things, not just for
themselves as a person, but for the industry as a whole.
(03:51):
And I think that really comes across with the applicants
that they have there. Maybe their day to day business
that they're part of, but they're doing these other things
that are over and above what you regular person might
be doing within their job. And I think that's what
the award is looking for as somebody that's got to
that point where they've been trying new things and are
starting something amazing, but they've got to that point where
(04:13):
they really need some support around them to help take
it to the next level.
Speaker 1 (04:17):
Yeah, the next level. I like that. We're talking to
prestigious Xander McDonald war trans Tasman Egg Award that has
been going now ten years markets It is more than
an award. It's obviously a really growing family of like minded,
diverse people just you know, just out there striving for
the good of egg.
Speaker 3 (04:38):
Yeah, one hundred percent, and family is the exact word
we use a lot in their ord and thinking about
it because that's where it is. When you get to
when we do meet up once a year, which is
just the best cup of days. You can imagine. It
is like a family or reunion. And I guess that
family gets kind of younger and cooler every year because
we've got the alumni coming in. So it sort of
start obviously as a group of a group of established
(05:00):
people in the industry that were awarding it to young people.
But now all those alumni there and that network and
watching those people and being part of that network is
just phenomenal. You've got they the top of the game
across a whole leabe of sort of generations. Now.
Speaker 1 (05:14):
Yeah, and I'm mister mcmanaway. Shane. He's obviously greatly influenced
because he gets younger and cooler by the year, and
certainly this is one of his one of his great highlights.
On Harrett. You won in twenty twenty three, and you've
actually just completed some of your professional development as part
of the award, Yes, I have.
Speaker 2 (05:33):
So I chose to complete the Rabobank Executive Development program
over in Sydney, which has run in two blocks over
a two year period, so you go over to Sydney
for a week each year, and again it is just
something that you know, it's not an opportunity I would
have been able to take part in had I not
(05:54):
had the connections from the award and met all the
people that I met. But the EDP course in itself
is an extremely deep dive into business and personal and
you are in a room with forty other farmers from
across Australia and New Zealand who are all at different
stages within their careers, whether they're at the stage where
they're working through succession challenges, whether they are just taking
(06:18):
over their property and starting out at the beginning, and
so it's incredibly powerful to be in a room with that.
And they do like in the EEDP course to being
a mini MBA and it's the only thing that is
attached to agriculture in that sense. So it's an intense course.
It really challenges your thinking and challenges where you're at
(06:38):
in business and where you're going to go forward from there.
My husband joined me for the last part this year
for the Partner program, so we were able to sit
down together and you look at everything from your personality
testing and how each of your personalities can fit into
your business, and where you should be best placed within
your business and how you can make that work in
(06:59):
the best way, which is very interesting for a husband
and wife team to figure that out about themselves, especially
when you're living and working in close context, as farmers
tend to. But yeah, again, just so much learning from
that and a lot to take away that you can
actually practically apply to your everyday life.
Speaker 1 (07:17):
Fabulous stuff. Thank you very much, Mark Ferguson and Harriet
Bremner pick me there, our judges and a former winner
of the prestigious Xander McDonald Award here on the country
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