Board

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Steven Carden – Chairman & Co-founder

Before his recent move to Managing Director of the NZX listed Delegat Group, Steven was the CEO of Pamu for 7 years where he transformed the State-Owned Enterprise into one of the country’s most dynamic vertically-integrated food businesses. Previously, Steven spent 3 years as GM PGG Wrightson Seeds Australia. He has worked for McKinsey in New York covering a wide range of industries. He is a former director of FarmIQ, the country’s leading farm software company. Steven holds an MBA from Harvard Business School, and a LLB/BA from the University of Auckland.

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Steve Saunders

Steve, Ag entrepreneur, has 36 years’ experience in the horticultural sector, international ventures, applied technology, environmental research & development, innovation and science.He is the CEO and founder of Robotics Plus ltd (Named in the Thrive top 50 global AgTech Companies and RBR50 most innovative Robotic companies in 2020 along with Forbes Asia top 100 companies to watch in 2021), a founder director of WNT Ventures and a founding member of PlantTech Research Institute. A founding shareholder and Director of Rockit Global, Miro Limited (Māori Berry collective) and MPAC (kiwifruit post-harvest). Steven is the co-founder of Newnham Park Innovation Centre in Tauranga New Zealand, an active Angel investor, a shareholder Director of many privately-owned companies and tech startups. He is a former Board member of the Māori Economic Development Advisory Board, Agrigate, and Landcare Research. Thinking big and looking to solve global, scalable problems has been integral to Steve’s success - a philosophy that is well expressed in his favourite whakatauki: He rangi tā matawhāiti, he rangi tā matawhānui – A person with a narrow vision sees little opportunity, A person with a wide vision sees plentiful opportunities.

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Paul Blackwell

Paul was the owner/operator of New Zealand’s largest and most successful PaknSave, Albany PaknSave. Paul was also on the board of Foodstuffs New Zealand, subsequent to selling Albany PaknSave, he has invested in other retail chains including Burger King, Starbucks, and Hannahs. Paul brings to 26 Seasons unprecedented consumer and retailer understanding for both New Zealand and international markets.

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Al Petrie

Al is the former GM of Turners and Growers NZ having spent 20 years involved in sales, marketing, distribution , imports and exports in NZ’s largest horticultural company. Following his T&G career he spent 2 years as the COO of Freshmax NZ, were he restructured and realigned their domestic fresh produce division. He has since been involved in multiple governance roles largely in the food sector. He is currently the chair of Zeafruit Ltd, (the largest domestic marketer of citrus and avocados, vertically integrated with orchards and pack houses) and is on the board of Turners Automotive Group, Director of the Darling Group, the third largest avocado business and advisor to Foodchain, one of New Zealand's largest food service businesses.

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Graham Lawrence

Graham is a Director of The Advisory Group which provides business advisory services to companies seeking capital and expanding internationally. Graham has over 20 years working with growing businesses and work side by side in expanding them internationally. Graham is on the advisory boards of a number of businesses and recently assisted with the sale of Etec Crop Solutions to UPL and the sale of Foodbox to the Produce Company.

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Justin Gray

After graduating with an honour's degree in chemistry from Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Justin worked first as a scientist for the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, then spent more than 21 years with global IT and services company Accenture, becoming NZ managing director. In 2020, he moved to Datacom as head of the firm’s New Zealand public sector group, and eight months later became MD of technology services across both the public and private sectors.