“We know that women have the skills and talent to succeed. It is incumbent on all of us to support future generations of women leaders in New Zealand and around the world, to ensure women have everything they need to move forward, with confidence and certainty, as they progress through their careers,” Whaitiri said.
Three panel speakers – AFFCO chief financial officer Kristin Akehurst, Alliance Group board director Sarah Brown and Silver Fern Farms group marketing manager Nicola Johnston – took the stage to share their experiences, with the aim of fostering opportunity for others and addressing the clear barriers to entry.
“I have tried to be brave throughout my career and have made conscious decisions to step out of my comfort zone. My initial perception of the meat industry was blown out of the water. It is incredibly dynamic and full of inspiring and passionate people. I have thrived in the environment and progressed by being courageous,” Akehurst said.
Johnston agreed, adding: “It’s easy for people to get caught into one course of work within their career; let’s break out of that single-minded pathway and not limit ourselves or our potential for excellence.”
Brown expressed the importance of having support around you.
“Early on in my career I realised how important a network is. We need to be that support for our young women, our daughters, granddaughters need us to champion their growth. They are smart, organised and future-thinking, and that is exactly what we need in our sector,” Brown said.
The event was hosted by the NZ chapter of MBW, a global networking group that late last year commissioned an international report highlighting women make up just 36% of the meat industry’s global workforce and hold just 5% of chief executive roles globally.
The Meat Industry Association (MIA) is a territory partner of MBW NZ, alongside Beef + Lamb NZ (Inc and Ltd) and chief executive Sirma Karapeeva is passionate about championing the strategy outlined in the report.
“One of the ways in which we can support women in the sector is through events such as today’s lunch. It is a natural complement to the official programme of the Red Meat Sector Conference and shows the increasing diversity of our sector,” Karapeeva said.
“It’s been incredibly inspiring to hear from our speakers today. Mentoring and profiling the successes of other women, including learning from opportunities grasped and challenges overcome, helps to build both business and personal transformation within our community.”
MBW was also recognised by the United Nations as one of the global solutions to their Sustainable Development Goals.
For more information about MBW, visit meatbusinesswomen.org
