Executive Team

  

Peter Ellis

CEO

Peter was appointed Farmlands CEO in 2007 and heads a restructured Farmlands’ executive team. His background is in the beer, beverages and agribusiness sectors, with management experience at multinational level. Peter has held key roles involving strategic and operational change, purchasing and export. He is responsible for Farmlands’ business strategic direction, financial performance and the company’s 400 staff. He is originally from the United Kingdom and is married to a New Zealander.

Allister Bathgate

General Manager Innovation & Communication

Allister joined Farmlands in 2007, bringing a broad-based sales and marketing background to the company. Allister has worked throughout New Zealand and in the UK for consumer-driven companies such as Lion Breweries, Blue Bird Foods and McCains, and also has experience in the duty free industry. His responsibilities at Farmlands include retail, marketing, innovation, operations that help deliver and meet the needs of customer expectations and the look and feel of the stores.

Andrew George

General Manager People & Organisation

Andrew brings extensive business and HR experience from the fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) sector and has worked with companies in New Zealand, Australia and Asia over the past 20 years. His last assignment before joining Farmlands in 2007 was to assist to globally lead the biggest HR outsourcing contract in history at the time. He currently has responsibility for leading all aspects of organisational compliance, capability building and network development.

Gavin Foulsham

General Manager Card

Gavin has a sales & marketing and general management background, having worked in sales and marketing roles with Glaxo SmithKline for 6 years, before becoming General Manager of Molemap New Zealand. Gavin heads up the Farmlands Card team, with a focus on helping shareholders reduce their farm input costs for products not available in our stores, while at the same time providing incremental revenue for Card Partners supplying those goods and services. He is a former Paralympian, having represented New Zealand in the 1992 Barcelona and 2000 Sydney Olympics in wheelchair racing. He remains the NZ record holder for the 800m wheelchair event and has also completed the Boston Marathon and Coast to Coast.

 

Geoff Taylor

General Manager Operations

With more than 25 years' experience in retail and farming in his blood, Geoff Taylor has worked with some of the country's leading retailers including Countdown/Foodtown, The Warehouse Group and Goldpine Industries.  His roles have been at a regional or national level where he built high performing teams that delivered operational excellence.  Geoff was born and bred in Hawke's Bay, and he and his wife own a farm in the Tukituki Valley next door to his parent's farm.  They recently expanded the farm to include a vineyard, growing Pinot Noir, which has given insight into the slowly improving grape sector.

 

Steve Sturgess

Chief Information Officer

Chief Information Officer

Steve has a broad range of experience in IT Service Management, Process and Project management within both the public and private sectors in New Zealand. Prior to joining Farmlands Steve has worked in senior roles for Transpower NZ, Telecom, Massey University and Plumbing World. His role as Chief Information Officer incorporates technology alongside business improvement with a focus on introducing value adding process improvement and technology as a stable platform for future growth.