Celebrating sector leadership
Words: APHANZ
Every year, the Animal and Plant Health NZ awards spotlight people whose leadership, innovation, and commitment strengthen New Zealand’s primary sector.
Looking ahead to our annual conference in July in Wellington, we reflect on how these awards not only recognise excellence but also light the path for emerging leaders shaping the future of animal and plant health.
The theme of this year’s conference is ‘Grass roots, green shoots: Building growth and sustainability from the ground up.’
The Emerging Leader and Outstanding Contribution awards recognise members who have positively contributed to the association and wider industry.
The President’s Award is open to non-members in the primary sector, for leaders who have supported APHANZ and promoted members’ contribution to the economy and environment.
The trajectory of past recipients of these awards show how powerful visibility through recognition can be.
Among the most influential is the Emerging Leader Award, which recognises rising talent within the group’s emerging leadership programme and professionals who have been in the industry for three to seven years making an impact.
Nicole Morris and Lisa Lunn were jointly awarded the Emerging Leader award in 2024.
They exemplify the purpose of this award, which recognises potential early and supporting the development of people who go on to have a meaningful impact and influence on the primary sector.
Morris, recently appointed marketing manager at Corteva, is a strong voice for sustainable crop protection and the importance of regulatory systems that enable access to new technologies.
Lunn is also making a valued contribution as a thought leader through her work as chair of the APHANZ genet echnology subcommittee and in wider rural leadership programmes.
The awards also honour people who shape the sector’s strength and sustainability.
EpiVets director Julia McNab was the recipient of the 2025 Outstanding Contribution Award.
Her steady leadership has role modelled and shaped solutions-focused engagement with regulators to improve the approval pathway, so it is fit for purpose, operates effectively, and delivers better outcomes for everyone.
2024 President’s Award recipient, PacificVet director and co-founder Kent Deitemeyer, is a standout.
His ongoing contribution to animal welfare and conservation is exceptional and was further recognised in the 2025 Primary Industry NZ awards.
This year’s conference theme reflects the idea that sustainable growth begins with strong foundations—people, relationships, and shared purpose.
Celebrating people who contribute to those foundations is an investment in the future, propagating green shoots and building growth and sustainability from grass roots.