CSB - Tracy Brown: Dairy NZ

Tracy Brown is a Matamata dairy farmer, and was selected as the chair-elect when Jim van der Poel announced he was standing down earlier this year. She joins Craig Cumming to chat the new role.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Tracy Brown is a Matamata dairy farmer and was selected
as the chair elect when Jim vander Polt announced he
was standing down earlier this year from Dairy and Z
and she joins me this morning. Good morning, Tracy, good morning.
Well you've had a range of governor experience to date.
I can give a few examples of what you've been
going up to. This is a little bit like a
job interview.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Thanks Craig. Hopefully I'm up for it. So I've had
a range of governance and leadership experiences. I've started out
in community governance, but you know, with sort of community
groups and things when my kids were young, moved into
school governance, Dairy Woman's Network, involved with Marty Egry, business
governance with Chettadowa Farming and the Far North. Currently I'm

(00:43):
on the Dairy Industry Awards Trust and I'm a director
for the NDAGRC Board as well as having been on
Drying Zed for four years. What a lot of people
know me for though I was I was chair of
the Deer Environment leaders Program for many years and tear
of the Balanced Some Environment Towards Alumni. So I've had
a range of sort of roles you've gotten around, you've

(01:07):
got the job.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
There we go your past. So when you look at
all those experiences, how have they shaped you and help
you prepare for the roll ahead?

Speaker 2 (01:17):
Well, for me, Craig, governance is about judgment and a
lot of it is about understanding people and perspectives and
their drive and where they're coming from, and it's about
making good decisions. So it's really good to have had
that range of experiences to sort of understand people's perspectives
and what their drivers are, understand how the industry works.

(01:38):
I've also had a couple of roles with government in
the policy space. One currently on the Naywak which is
the Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, and previously been involved with
the Essential fresh Water Policy. So I sort of have
a little bit of knowledge or so around the inner
working of the policy development process, which is quite useful. Yeah,

(02:00):
I think, you know, I feel ready. I've worked hard
and I feel ready to move up to that leadership space.

Speaker 1 (02:09):
When you look at your journey, I mean you're always
interested in these sort of roles.

Speaker 2 (02:15):
Well, I've got the E Science degree, Crave. I started
my career as an economist and the Sheep and Beaf industry.
Working in Wellington, I never really sort of understood what
governance was and I guess it's always been about following,
you know, getting involved with roles where I can really
make a difference, and that sort of been my real driver.
How can I make things better for funers and that

(02:37):
sort of the path that I've followed and sort of
why I've ended up, you know, doing the things I've done.

Speaker 1 (02:44):
Absolutely, So are you excited about, you know, what the
future with Dairy and your role that you've got when
it comes to becoming the chair in October?

Speaker 2 (02:53):
Absolutely? And you know I've got a really strong board
with diverse skills and backgrounds, really experienced independent directors that
really compliment the farmer elected directors who are leaders in
their own right, and the idea has got a really
positive future. I'm you know, I'm really excited and you
know we've got an important role to play, as the
Board of Darien said.

Speaker 1 (03:14):
Certainly, I have appreciate your time this morning, Tracy.

Speaker 2 (03:17):
Thank you