Management Committee
Nukuhia Hadfield – Chair of the Ahuwhenua Trophy Management Committee
Ngāti Awa me Ngaiterangi
Nukuhia is a Sheep and Beef Farmer from Ruakituri Wairoa. Nuku started her working career with the ANZ Bank and spent 9 years with them over several locations.
Nuku has been involved in farming for 27 years as well as time in the Shearing Industry.
Nuku is married to Bart and they have 3 grown up children.
In 2015 Nuku and Bart won the Ahuwhenua Trophy Compeitition for Sheep and Beef with their 1506 hectare hill country property Mangaroa Station.
Nukuhia is a Sheep and Beef Farmer from Ruakituri Wairoa. Nuku started her working career with the ANZ Bank and spent 9 years with them over several locations.
Nuku has been involved in farming for 27 years as well as time in the Shearing Industry.
Nuku is married to Bart and they have 3 grown up children.
In 2015 Nuku and Bart won the Ahuwhenua Trophy Compeitition for Sheep and Beef with their 1506 hectare hill country property Mangaroa Station.
Grace Smit – Deputy Secretary, Regional Partnerships and Operations, Te Puni Kōkiri
Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Rakaipaaka
Grace Smit, currently serving as the Deputy Secretary for Regional Partnerships and Operations, at Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry for Māori Development), brings a wealth of experience and expertise with public service experience across a broad range of policy, operational and service design responsibilities.
Before joining Te Puni Kōkiri, Grace held the dual role at the Ministry of Justice of Pae Matua/Director of the Waitangi Tribunal and Māori Land Court. Grace provided oversight and direction over the Waitangi Unit’s administrative and support services to the Waitangi Tribunal. She also guided the Māori Land Court’s national network of offices, to provide a range of services for Māori landowners and their whānau and hapū. Grace has also held management roles in the Department of Corrections and the tertiary education sector.
Grace also grew up in Auckland, where she also gained a Masters of New Zealand History from the University of Auckland.
Grace Smit, currently serving as the Deputy Secretary for Regional Partnerships and Operations, at Te Puni Kōkiri (Ministry for Māori Development), brings a wealth of experience and expertise with public service experience across a broad range of policy, operational and service design responsibilities.
Before joining Te Puni Kōkiri, Grace held the dual role at the Ministry of Justice of Pae Matua/Director of the Waitangi Tribunal and Māori Land Court. Grace provided oversight and direction over the Waitangi Unit’s administrative and support services to the Waitangi Tribunal. She also guided the Māori Land Court’s national network of offices, to provide a range of services for Māori landowners and their whānau and hapū. Grace has also held management roles in the Department of Corrections and the tertiary education sector.
Grace also grew up in Auckland, where she also gained a Masters of New Zealand History from the University of Auckland.
Robyn Meehan - Director of Māori Partnerships and Capability, Ministry for Primary Industries
Kāi Tahu, Ngāti Toa Rangatira, Ngāti Tama
Robyn is Director of Māori Partnerships and Capability at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
Robyn started her career at the Ngāi Tahu Māori Law Centre, where she worked as a lawyer, regularly appearing in the Māori Land Court to support whānau and hapū with matters relating to whenua Māori.
Robyn then moved to Wellington and worked for the Chief Judge’s Chambers of the Māori Land Court as research counsel. The experience she gained in Chambers and through the Waitangi Tribunal shaped her public service career leading to roles at Te Puni Kokiri and Oranga Tamariki where Robyn focused on driving transformational change.
At MPI, Robyn is responsible for overseeing a work programme that supports Māori to achieve their primary sector aspirations while ensuring MPI uphold their Te Tiriti responsibilities.
Robyn is Director of Māori Partnerships and Capability at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI).
Robyn started her career at the Ngāi Tahu Māori Law Centre, where she worked as a lawyer, regularly appearing in the Māori Land Court to support whānau and hapū with matters relating to whenua Māori.
Robyn then moved to Wellington and worked for the Chief Judge’s Chambers of the Māori Land Court as research counsel. The experience she gained in Chambers and through the Waitangi Tribunal shaped her public service career leading to roles at Te Puni Kokiri and Oranga Tamariki where Robyn focused on driving transformational change.
At MPI, Robyn is responsible for overseeing a work programme that supports Māori to achieve their primary sector aspirations while ensuring MPI uphold their Te Tiriti responsibilities.
Charlotte Severne - The Māori Trustee
Dr Charlotte Severne is Māori Trustee and CEO of Te Tumu Paeroa. Te Tumu Paeroa, manages over 90,000 hectares of Māori land on behalf of nearly 100,000 owners by providing professional trustee, property management, and land development services to over 1,800 Māori land trusts.
Charlotte holds a PhD in Geology from the University of Auckland. In 2016, she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours, recognising her role as a strong advocate and mentor for Māori students in science, and as a trail blazer in assisting Māori asset-owning entities to understand and better utilise science and research to sustainably manage and develop their taonga tuku iho.
Charlotte also has a wealth of experience in working with Māori business as a science advisor and in governance roles in energy, fisheries and farming entities, including as chair of the Lake Rotoaira Trusts (Forest and Lake) and deputy chair of Opepe Farm Trust.
Charlotte holds a PhD in Geology from the University of Auckland. In 2016, she was made an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the Queen's Birthday Honours, recognising her role as a strong advocate and mentor for Māori students in science, and as a trail blazer in assisting Māori asset-owning entities to understand and better utilise science and research to sustainably manage and develop their taonga tuku iho.
Charlotte also has a wealth of experience in working with Māori business as a science advisor and in governance roles in energy, fisheries and farming entities, including as chair of the Lake Rotoaira Trusts (Forest and Lake) and deputy chair of Opepe Farm Trust.
Duncan Matthews – Client Director of Corporate Agribusiness – BNZ
Duncan is a Client Director of Corporate Agribusiness for BNZ, based in Taupo and covering predominantly the South Waikato, Central Plateau and Hawkes Bay regions. He grew up on a sheep and beef farm near Hawera, which has influenced and led to a continued involvement in New Zealand’s primary sector.
He has an Agricultural Science degree and a Rural Valuation diploma and joined BNZ in 2003. Since then, Duncan’s primary role has been managing a portfolio of agribusiness clients, that has included a significant number of Maori Trusts & Incorporations across dairy, sheep & beef, deer, and forestry.
He has been a judge with the dairy and sheep & beef competitions previously, and a finalist judge in the 2021 Ahuwhenua Trophy Dairy Awards and has a strong association with the Ahuwhenua competition.
He has an Agricultural Science degree and a Rural Valuation diploma and joined BNZ in 2003. Since then, Duncan’s primary role has been managing a portfolio of agribusiness clients, that has included a significant number of Maori Trusts & Incorporations across dairy, sheep & beef, deer, and forestry.
He has been a judge with the dairy and sheep & beef competitions previously, and a finalist judge in the 2021 Ahuwhenua Trophy Dairy Awards and has a strong association with the Ahuwhenua competition.
Tracy Brown - Chair, DairyNZ
Tracy holds a BAgSci (Hons) degree and was first elected to the DairyNZ Board in 2019 and elected to Chair of the Board in 2024. Tracy has been involved with leading environmental change for dairy through her roles as DairyNZ Dairy Environment Leaders chair, Ballance Farm Environment Awards Alumni chair and as a Dairy Women’s Network trustee.
Tracy has been dairying with husband Wynn on their Waikato farm ‘Tiroroa’ for 25 years. Originally from Northland, Tracy lives near Matamata on a 680 cow, 310ha (240ha milking platform) system three farm ‘Tiroroa’ which won the Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Supreme Award in 2010.
An AWDT ‘Escalator’ Alumni and Nuffield Scholar, she was a finalist in 2017 Westpac Women of Influence Awards and won a Sustainable Business Network’s ‘Sustainability Superstar’ award in 2018. She has previously held two Cabinet appointed roles, one to the Essential Freshwater Independent Advisory Panel and the other to NAWAC.
Tracy has been dairying with husband Wynn on their Waikato farm ‘Tiroroa’ for 25 years. Originally from Northland, Tracy lives near Matamata on a 680 cow, 310ha (240ha milking platform) system three farm ‘Tiroroa’ which won the Waikato Ballance Farm Environment Supreme Award in 2010.
An AWDT ‘Escalator’ Alumni and Nuffield Scholar, she was a finalist in 2017 Westpac Women of Influence Awards and won a Sustainable Business Network’s ‘Sustainability Superstar’ award in 2018. She has previously held two Cabinet appointed roles, one to the Essential Freshwater Independent Advisory Panel and the other to NAWAC.
Kate Acland – Chair of Beef + Lamb New Zealand
Kate Acland is a farmer-elected director and Chair of the producer body Beef + Lamb New Zealand as well as Chair of the New Zealand Meat Board.
Kate and her husband run an extensive and diverse farming operation in the Canterbury high country. They each come from five generations of farmers and growers with a proud history of producing quality food. Their farming operation includes sheep, beef, dairy, red deer, honey and wine production.
Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree in Viticulture and Oenology and a Master’s Degree in Applied Science majoring in Farm Management Consultancy from Lincoln University.
Kate and her husband run an extensive and diverse farming operation in the Canterbury high country. They each come from five generations of farmers and growers with a proud history of producing quality food. Their farming operation includes sheep, beef, dairy, red deer, honey and wine production.
Kate holds a Bachelor’s degree in Viticulture and Oenology and a Master’s Degree in Applied Science majoring in Farm Management Consultancy from Lincoln University.
Kate Scott – CEO, Horticulture New Zealand
Kāi Tahu
Kate Scott is the Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand.
Kate has been working in agribusiness for 20 years bringing experience in resource management, environmental policy and planning and stakeholder engagement having previously been an executive director of environmental consultancy Landpro, the deputy chair of Thriving Southland, and the current chair of the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust. Kate was a Nuffield scholar in 2018 and was a recipient of the Rabobank Australasian Emerging Leader award in 2023.
Kate’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Geography & Political Science) degree from Victoria University. She completed the Leading Professional Service Firms programme at Harvard Business School and the Institute of Directors Governance Development Programme.
Kate Scott is the Chief Executive of Horticulture New Zealand.
Kate has been working in agribusiness for 20 years bringing experience in resource management, environmental policy and planning and stakeholder engagement having previously been an executive director of environmental consultancy Landpro, the deputy chair of Thriving Southland, and the current chair of the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust. Kate was a Nuffield scholar in 2018 and was a recipient of the Rabobank Australasian Emerging Leader award in 2023.
Kate’s qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (Geography & Political Science) degree from Victoria University. She completed the Leading Professional Service Firms programme at Harvard Business School and the Institute of Directors Governance Development Programme.
