Trusted relationships
It’s hard to find people who reflect our clients’ values. Building trust takes time. So does building a great team.
All our agribusiness advisors are members of New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management (NZIPIM). To become a member each advisor must hold minimum academic qualifications, have been employed as a Primary Industry Professional for three continuous years and completed an ethics module. Applications also have to be supported by referees and accepted by the NZIPIM Board.
Directors Lee Matheson, Duncan Walker, Trudy Laan and John Perrin have achieved the prestigious status of becoming Registered Members along with Principal Consultant, Carla Muller. To achieve this status they have been identified by their professional peers and clients as having a level of expertise and a high standard of delivery in the core competencies. To achieve this status they have to provide examples of work for review by peers, provide referees (including clients) and be accepted by an interview panel. As Registered Members they are also held to a high standard around professional development and are required to complete set amounts of this every year.
Our Board
MANAGING DIRECTOR
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
Lee Matheson
B.Appl.Sc (Hons), FNZIPIM (Reg)
Lee came to agribusiness consultancy via the unlikely pathway of a suburban Wellington upbringing, an Honours degree in plant science and a six-year career in the financial markets. In his role as the firm’s MD, Lee doesn’t get out on-farm as much as he used to but makes the most of it when he does. While having swapped the paddock for the boardroom, Lee continues to provide advice in the areas of farm business strategy, farm system innovation, corporate governance, investment analysis and economic research.
Outside of Perrin Ag, Lee loves to spend his time coaching rugby, watching his three kids play sport and gardening with his wife Haidee.
“I love the challenge of empowering people in our primary sectors and the excitement of seeing clients achieving their aspirations. If we can encourage farmers to engage with their consumers, take a more active involvement in their supply chains and view their businesses through a wider lens, then I think our industries have a great future.”
- +64 29 395 5312
- [email protected]
DIRECTOR
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
Duncan Walker
B.Appl.Sc, MNZIPIM (Reg)
Coming from a drystock and dairy farming background, Duncan has always been passionate about growing primary sector businesses. Whether it’s pastoral farming, forestry, horticulture or investments outside the farm gate, sustainably optimising business performance is Duncan’s passion. After graduating from Massey University with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Agribusiness, Duncan’s first opportunity to optimise a farm business was by undertaking a dairy conversion. Duncan project managed the conversion and continued to run the dairy farm for a further three years.
Since joining Perrin Ag in 2011 Duncan works with a wide range of clients including those ‘outside the farm gate’. With his strong background in investment analysis, business strategy and project management, Duncan is increasingly working with clients to analyse and integrate horticulture and forestry investments into their farm businesses.
“I enjoy helping clients navigate through the complexities of today’s operational, financial and environmental challenges. Seeing clients achieve their goals is very rewarding”
- +64 27 340 3984
- [email protected]
DIRECTOR
PRINCIPAL CONSULTANT
Trudy Laan
B.Ag.Sc (Hons) , MNZIPIM (Reg)
Trudy graduated from Massey with an Honours degree in Agricultural Science. Since then she has been involved in practical farming on her own account and worked as a senior tutor in agriculture. She has also been a national examiner for NZQA farm business. Joining Perrin Ag in May 2002, Trudy works as a farm consultant in all areas of farming, specialising in dairying, corporate supervision, land use conversion and staff recruitment.
Trudy brings significant experience in dairy farm systems and management, along with a real passion for lifting productivity and achieving her clients’ aspirations.
“My philosophy has always been that you spend so much of your life working, that you should work at something you are passionate about and would love to do even if you were not getting paid. Having been brought up on a dairy farm where we were actively involved, I have always loved cows. I also enjoy the privilege of being trusted to assist farmers and the long term relationships we have with both staff and owners in the role as farm supervisors.”
- +64 29 295 5312
- [email protected]
CHAIRMAN
John Perrin
Dip.VFM, MNZIPIM (Reg)
John has been in business as a Registered Farm Management Consultant and previously as a registered valuer for over 35 years. Most of his experience has centred around land development and farm supervision along with international consultancy in large scale farming operations.
New Zealand farm supervision has largely centred around management and consultancy for Māori authorities and other absentee owners. Since the mid 1990’s John has been predominantly involved in the design and direct management of dairy conversion projects both in New Zealand and overseas, most latterly having had oversight for a new sheep dairy development at Waikino Station. These days John is focussed on his role as Chairman of Perrin Ag.
“In becoming involved in agriculture I was driven to help farmers and their managers maximise production and profitability from their land. Today farming is a very much more complex business and being involved in a rapidly growing advisory practice at a governance level and providing an environment where ambitious advisors and their clients achieve their joint goals and aspirations, gives me great pleasure.”
- +64 21 955 312
- [email protected]
Independent Director
Julie Rickman
FCA, CAANZ, BMS
Born and bred on a dairy farm in the Waikato, Julie has over 30 years business experience, spread across both the commercial sector and chartered accounting. She worked for small and multi-national accounting firms before joining Beattie Rickman in Hamilton where she became a partner and then Managing Partner. Julie was responsible for the merger of Beattie Rickman into PwC in 2006 and was Managing Partner of PwC Waikato until she moved to PwC Otago in 2011.
She has recently resigned from her role as Executive Director Finance, Procurement & Facilities at Southern DHB and is now focusing her skills and experience on her directorship roles. In addition to Perrin Ag, she is a director of Barr, Burgess & Stewart Limited – an advisory and accounting services firm based in Dunedin. Julie is currently in the process of moving to Wanaka from Dunedin, where she has lived for the past ten years.
“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones most responsive to change”
– Charles Darwin
- +64 21 729 619
- [email protected]
