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The Ruralco Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Sir David Carter as its new Chair following the decision by previous Chair and Director, Jessie Chan, to stand down from her role at last month’s Annual General Meeting.

David has served on the Ruralco Board since 2020. Prior to this, he competed a successful 26 year parliamentary career which saw him chair numerous select committees as a Member of Parliament before becoming a Senior Cabinet Minister from 2008 until 2012. This included being Minister of Agriculture, Biosecurity, Economic Development, Forestry, and Primary Industries from 2008 to 2012 before being elected Speaker of the New Zealand Parliament at the start of 2013. In December 2020 David was awarded a Knighthood recognising his 26 years of public service.

Though city born and bred, David’s passion was always to be a farmer and armed with a B.Agr.Sc degree from Lincoln University, he started farming at West Melton and went on to establish New Zealand’s first commercial embryo transplant company to help introduce “exotic” cattle breeds to Australia and New Zealand. As a sole trading farming enterprise, David has purchased, developed, farmed, and sold a number of farm properties over a 50 year farming career. He currently farms 10,000 stock unit sheep and beef breeding and fattening operations, spread over three properties on Banks Peninsula and in North Canterbury.

Sir David Carter comments "I am honoured to be appointed by the Board to the Chair role. I am committed to supporting our CEO and Executive team to continue the good work done to date by all of our people and to keep challenging ourselves to deliver value for our members."

David brings a wealth of knowledge and a passion for agriculture to his new role and the Ruralco Board congratulates him on his appointment and looks forward to continuing to grow the business under his leadership. Rob Sharkie, Group CEO Ruralco says "David's experience in both governance and farming has been valuable during his Board tenure to date and with him now moving into the Chair role we are looking forward to working together to build Ruralco into the partner of choice for rural New Zealand."