Board, Patron & Founder



  • Murray Donald
  • Anne-Marie Broughton
  • Mavis Mullins MNZM - Patron
  • Lindy Nelson MNZM - Founder
  • Poto Davies
  • Keri Johnston
  • Susan Doughty
  • Patrice Feary
  • Murray Donald - Co-Chair

    Murray is passionate about productive enterprises that play a major role in the New Zealand economy.  He enjoys working with people who have a shared sense of direction towards a common goal for business growth.

    Over the past 25 years Murray and his wife Carolynn have developed and expanded an intensive lamb and beef farming operation in the Waianiwa District of Southland.

    Murray has held numerous professional governance roles including Director of FMG (2000-2014) and Director of Alliance Group Ltd (1992-current).  He chairs the Alliance Group Trustee Ltd (staff superannuation scheme) and is a Director of the Southern Institute of Technology.  

    Murray is a Chartered Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Directors and a 1992 Kellogg Scholar.

  • Anne Marie Broughton - Trustee

    Anne-Marie has extensive experience in Māori land governance, management and development.  She is a director of regional economic development agency Whanganui & Partners, co-chair of the Whanganui West Catchment Group, chair of Whenuakura Marae, serves on MPI's Sustainable Food & Fibre Futures Investment Advisory panel and is a director of Crown Regional Holdings Ltd. 

    With a passion for sustainable business development and change management, Anne-Marie has led many new and innovative projects and start-up operations from concept to full implementation phase.

     

  • Mavis relishes the opportunity to support women engaged in self-development and share her skills and experiences. Other primary sector directorships include Chair of Atihau Whanganui Incorporation and Aohanga Incorporation.  

    In 2017 Mavis was inducted into the New Zealand Business Hall of Fame and won The Outstanding Māori Business award at University of Auckland Aotearoa Māori Business Leaders Awards.

    Past directorships include Landcorp Farming Ltd and Massey University. As former Chair of Te Huarahi Tika Trust (Māori Spectrum) and former Chair of Hautaki Ltd, the NZ shareholder in 2degrees Mobile, Mavis has been involved in the development and commercial use of spectrum for mobile technologies.

    Her own company, Paewai Mullins Shearing Ltd, was the first globally in the sector to achieve ISO 9002 certification. Other acknowledgments include Golden Shears Awards, Māori Businesswoman of the Year (1998), Māori Sports Administrator of the Year for Shearing & Woolhandling (2005, 2012), and the Safeguard NZ Health & Safety in the Workplace Award (2008).

  • Lindy Nelson MNZM - Founder

    AWDT Founder Lindy Nelson is a visionary leader, unafraid to tackle challenges, and driven to make a difference in the New Zealand primary industry. She believes women hold the key to support and lead much of the change that needs to happen globally. Her personal philosophy around diversity and inclusion is “leave no one behind”.

    Lindy’s work in the New Zealand agriculture sector started in 1992 when she moved to a rural area to manage a hill country sheep and beef operation along with her husband. The lack of women's voice in the agriculture world made She believed it was time for action, to support women and feminine leadership. After three years of research, Lindy saw her work coming into the form with "Unlocking Potential", a research paper that meant the beginning of new projects.

    Lindy founded AWDT in 2009 that has led to a transformation in NZ’s food and agricultural sector through unleashing the talent of women. She also led the design and implementation of leading-edge leadership and governance programmes.

    She was the 2013 NEXT Business Woman of the Year and was nominated as one of the Top Ten Women in Agriculture by Primary Magazine.

    With a few friends in 2017, Lindy supported Theresa Gutting to bring to life WorldWomen17, a three-day event that brought renowned international speakers to a 480-strong urban and rural audience.

    In 2018, she travelled to Papua New Guinea to address Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation on empowering women in agriculture as well as offered advice to the Scottish Government to develop a strategy for agri-women.

    Lindy is a member of the 2020 Global Advisory board for Women in Food and Agriculture.

  • Poto Davies - Trustee

    Poto has held governance roles since 2010 for her iwi Ngāti Koroki Kahukura, as well as chair and co-chair for projects in her local community and across Waikato.  She is inaugural chair of Manawanui Development Limited Partnership (2016), the commercial arm of her iwi which owns and operates three dairy farms and a diversifying land use.

    Poto’s strong environmental interest and governance experience has seen her facilitate strategic planning hui for whānau and marae trusts and contribute to planning in the Waipa district.    

    Poto’s guiding principles and values are grounded in tikanga, kaitiakitanga and the success and wellbeing of her whānau and community.  

  • Keri Johnston - Co-Chair

    A South Canterbury farmer, environmental consultant and natural resources engineer, Keri has worked in the primary sector on environmental issues for 20 years. 

    An experienced governor, Keri has served five years on the IrrigationNZ board, the last two years as chair and is vice chair of Timaru Girls High School Board of Trustees.

    She has worked with communities, councils, and stakeholders to find solutions and agreed outcomes to many of the environmental challenges faced by the primary sector.

    Keri empowers and supports communities with the knowledge and tools to be able to co-design enduring and innovative environmental policy and solutions for a resilient New Zealand.

  • Susan Doughty - Trustee

    Susan is a seasoned director, executive, entrepreneur, and consultant with over 30 years experience solving commercial business issues and managing people challenges in complex environments.


    Susan is a former Partner at EY, Director - Talent & Engagement at Fonterra, and most recently Head of Reward & Insights for Zespri.  She is deeply committed to improving outcomes for women and has used her influence and skills to raise awareness of pay equity and diversity issues promoting positive change within Aotearoa New Zealand. 


    Susan’s governance portfolio includes Chair of Diversity Works New Zealand, Director of Coastguard New Zealand and Director of Caloda Ltd.

  • Patrice Feary - Trustee

    Patrice is the owner and founder of Christchurch-based Totem Group and brings a diverse and complementary skill set to the AWDT Board. A strategic marketer at her core, she has over 20 years of international sales and marketing executive experience, along with cross-sector governance in the global wine industry, dairy, aviation, and infrastructure sectors.


    An Independent Director for Marlborough Grape Growers Co-operative, Patrice is also a founding board member of Marlborough Heartland Ltd, and Independent Board Chair of Fonterra Wastewater Community, as well as a proud Board of Trustee at St Thomas of Canterbury College.


    Passionate to work, learn and grow alongside leaders and communities to create a positive impact, she is a connector and collaborator who understands the importance of stakeholder engagement. Patrice is thrilled to be joining AWDT, and is looking forward to harnessing the collective intelligence of her fellow trustees and contributing to a refreshed strategic direction that will empower women and men to accelerate progress and change in the food and fibre sector and rural communities across New Zealand.

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