It took me less than a year in legal practice to realise I didn’t want to be a lawyer. What followed has been a 25-year career in export marketing, research and innovation management, and GM and CEO roles in the deer, dairy, honey and wine industries including a year based in California as GM Americas for one of the world’s largest wine companies.

I’ve been privileged to travel and work in more than 30 countries and have worked with sectors ranging from premium foods, premium wines, natural health products and functional food ingredients.

I live in Marlborough, with my wife Sarah, our 4 children, 2 cats and a dog. The humans love me. The dog worships me. The cats tolerate my presence.

I am currently CEO at New Zealand Winegrowers Research Centre – establishing a research institute to support New Zealand’s wine industry from grape to glass(*). When I tell people I’m in ‘wine research’ I’m compelled to explain that’s not a euphemism for heavy drinking.

As well as a professional board position (New Zealand Wineries, a contract winery for some of my favourite Marlborough brands) I am a trustee of Marlborough’s Graeme Dingle Foundation and on the Board of Trustees at Marlborough Boys College.

I think we can all do better, always, and that’s especially true for how we treat people and the planet.

That’s my agenda – encouraging and helping businesses do better. Better for their owners. Better for their staff, customers, consumers and communities. Better for the planet.

(*) The views expressed on this site are mine personally and do not necessarily reflect those of my employer.