Dairy Women's Network Appoints New General Manager and Trustees

The Dairy Women’s Network announced today it has appointed a new General Manager, Dr Nita
Harding, to the position of General Manager.

Dr Harding was formerly a Business Manager with AsureQuality Limited where she was responsible
for business development, strategic and financial planning and reporting, client and stakeholder
relationships and compliance for the Veterinary Services Team. Dr Harding holds a Veterinary
Science degree from Massey University, a MACVSc in Animal Welfare and an MBA from University
of Waikato.

The appointment of Dr Harding follows the announcement by the Network in May that its former
General Manager, Lynda Clark, will step down from the General Manager position after seven years
in the role. Ms Clark will remain on the Network’s Trust Board.

Dr Harding will start in her role as General Manager on 19 July.

Speaking of Dr Harding’s appointment, Dairy Women’s Network Chair, Robyn Clements, says “the
Board is delighted to announce the appointment of someone of the calibre of Dr Nita Harding to the
General Manager role. She brings a strong business management background, including extensive
experience in business strategy and finance.

“Her passion for professional development - given the benefits she found from completing her MBA
with distinction in 2008 - aligns well with our Network's plans to continue expanding opportunities for
dairying women’s professional development. Nita's networks from working in the primary sector for
a number of years are also helpful to our organisation.”

Dr Harding says she’s excited about taking the Network to the next level for the benefit of dairying
women throughout New Zealand.

“The Dairy Women’s Network has established itself as the leading organisation for continuing
education and professional support for dairying women and has been influential in enabling women
in the industry.”

“I’m looking forward to putting in place further educational opportunities to empower dairying
women. It’s also important our women understand the industry and marketplace they operate in
and how they play an important role in the success of New Zealand Inc,” says Dr Harding.
The Dairy Women’s Network also announced today some changes to its trust board. Firstly, one of
the founding trustees and former chair, Willy Geck, has stepped down from the board after 11 years
of service.

Speaking of Mrs Geck’s retirement from the board, Robyn Clements says, “Willy's outstanding
contribution and leadership to the network has been significant since its inception. We will formally
farewell her at our annual general meeting in October."

Additionally, the Network has appointed two new trustees to its board: Chris Stevens and Toni
Laming.

Chris Stevens has been involved with the Dairy Women’s Network for many years in various
leadership roles. She and her husband run a 1500-cow dairying operation on farms at Rotorua and
Tirau. Toni Laming is a former senior executive with Fonterra and held the positions of General
Manager of International Operations and General Manager of Corporate Strategy.

"Our board welcomes these two new trustees, who both bring considerable expertise and a passion
for dairying and we are looking forward to working with them," says Ms Clements.
-END-

Full Bios of General Manager and New Trustees
General Manager - Dr Nita Harding BVSc, MACVSc, MBA (Dist)
Dr Harding comes to Dairy Women’s Network from a position as a Business Manager in
AsureQuality Limited. AsureQuality is a state owned enterprise employing approximately 1700
people in New Zealand and Australia, and undertakes a wide range of auditing, inspection, testing
and certification activities across the primary production sector. Her role as a Business Manager
was to manage all aspects of a professional business unit, the Veterinary Services Team, as a
business, within the larger business. This included staff management, business development,
strategic planning, financial planning and reporting, client and stakeholder relationships, and
compliance. She had a team of 12 who are located in a number of different regional offices
around New Zealand. The main areas of work for her business unit were animal disease control
management, and certification, inspection and auditing within the agricultural sector.

Dr Harding has a veterinary science degree from Massey University, and over her career has
worked in clinical practice in New Zealand and United Kingdom, in the meat industry, with technical
management of the Animal Health Board bovine tuberculosis control scheme, and most recently in
the export certification area. All of these roles have involved interaction with farmers, and service
providers, including government departments, within the agricultural sector. She also contributes
to the New Zealand Veterinary Association by holding an executive committee position for a special
Dr Harding is a firm believer in the value of continuing education. In 2001 she sat and passed
membership exams for the Australian College of Veterinary Scientists in Animal Welfare, becoming
one of the first New Zealand veterinarians to gain this qualification. Two years ago she completed
an MBA, with distinction, at Waikato University. This study enabled her to meet and work with
senior executives from a wide variety of backgrounds. She learned about business in a range of
sectors, and gained valuable skills in working with people in a voluntary setting.


Trustee – Chris Stevens, B.Tech(Biotech)
Chris has been involved with the Dairy Women’s Network for many years in leadership roles as
Regional Group Convenor and Chair of the local Dairy Women’s Network conference committee in
Rotorua. She also holds a number of leadership roles in her local community. Chris has a lifetime
interest in dairying, starting as a dairy farmer’s daughter and through her work in number of roles in
the dairy industry. She has farmed with her husband for many years and they have expanded their
business to 1500 cows after starting as sharemilkers.

Trustee – Toni Laming, B.Sc(Chem/App.Chem); AMP (Insead)
Toni is a former senior executive with Fonterra, holding the positions of General Manager of
International Operations and, previously, General Manager of Corporate Strategy. Prior to this
Toni had senior management leadership roles in large businesses in New Zealand and overseas.
Toni grew up in a farming family in South Africa with her passion for dairying developed further as
a result of her work with Fonterra over the last five years. Toni’s leadership roles in business have
included a strong interest in actively being involved in the technical and leadership development of
individuals, and well as personally coaching a number of young people. Toni enjoys competing in
multi-sports, including the Coast to Coast.