Monash University 2003 Agribusiness Co-operative Leaders Awards

The Sir John Monash Gold Medal Award for Agribusiness Co-operative Directors and the Australasian Agribusiness Co-operatives’ Hall of Honour this year were awarded to outstanding co-operative leaders in New Zealand.

Monash University has developed two categories of awards to recognise Australasian Agribusiness Co-operative Leaders: The University publicises the Awards, and co-ordinates the presentation ceremony. An Australasia-wide judging panel selects winners.

There may only be one recipient of the Sir John Monash Gold Medal Award each year. The inductions into the Hall of Honour may include past and current recipients and is not limited in number.

At the Monash University Forum dinner on the night of Saturday 6 December 2003 the awards were announced and are reported here. All recipients were present at the dinner to receive their awards and fittingly, all were New Zealanders.

Cantabrian-born, Professor Max King, who is a Director of the Research Graduate School and Deputy Dean of the Business & Economics Faculty of Monash University presented the Sir John Monash Gold Medal Award for Agribusiness Co-operative Directors for 2003 to Peter Jensen, Chairman FMG, immediately retired Chairman of Ballance Agri-Nutrients Co-operative, and director of other co-operative businesses.

In making the presentation Professor King read the following citation:

This nominee is a long-time passionate supporter of the co-operative business model. He has sat on the board of many of NZ’s most successful co-operatives and served as chairman on many of them.

In 1972 he was elected a Nuffield Scholar and is currently the international chairman of the Nuffield organisation that is dedicated to helping farmers learn best practices from around the globe.

He began his farming political career, like many others, by becoming involved with the Young Farmers Club movement of which he served from club level to national executive. This was a stepping stone to Federated Farmers where he was provincial president before standing down to give more time to the dairy industry.

In the dairy industry he held positions in his local dairy co-operative and eventually became Deputy Chairman of the NZ Dairy Board.

He has also been active in other co-operatively run organisations where he has contributed keenly to the success of those businesses. Businesses like, NZ Kiwifruit Marketing Board, Satara Co-operative Group and he is current chairman of FMG Rural Financial Services.

In 1993 he joined the board of Ballance Agri-Nutrients and soon took up the role of chairman that he held until just recently. His leadership with Ballance has seen that business grow considerably and enjoy remarkable success.

I am talking about Peter Jensen who has been awarded The Sir John Monash Gold Medal for 2003 following nomination by Ballance Agri-Nutrients Co-operative.

Three inductions were made into the Hall of Honour. On behalf of Monash University, Alex Wright, Chairperson of the New Zealand Co-operatives Association made the presentations.

First inductee:

This induction into the Hall of Honour has played a special part in the development of co-operative businesses in NZ.

Throughout his lifetime he has been an enthusiastic supporter of the co-operative business model and has been and probably still is a shareholder with several co-operatives. He has been a long serving director of PPCS.

Not only has he been an active co-operator in the interests of developing his farming activities, he has been instrumental in the formation then leadership of the co-operative association.

He was the founding chairman of the NZ Agricultural Co-operatives Association, which brought together the interests of many types of agricultural co-operatives. The Association primarily fostered education about co-operatives among the directors of those businesses and also made representations to government on issues affecting co-operatives.

Under his leadership non-agri co-operative businesses were brought into membership of the Association, which then changed its name to the New Zealand Co-operatives Association, representing the interests of all types of co-operatives. This strategic move strengthened the Association.

A major test of the Association occurred in the early 1990’s when government decided that they would not have separate legislation for co-operatives and that they would all operate under the Companies Act. Under his dedicated leadership, members rallied and strong representations were made to Parliament that gained acceptance of the principle that there would be separate legislation.

Because of the logjam of legislation at the time the Association accepted the task of drafting the co-operative companies act, which was done on a thoroughly consultative manner and many versions of the draft being updated. In the end the act was passed in 1996 and it stands today as clear evidence of the drive and commitment of this inductee to the Hall of Honour – Monash University honours – Brian Kennedy Cameron, the founding chairman and leader for seventeen years of the NZ Co-operatives Association.

Second inductee:

We all know people who have contributed greatly to leadership and events in our communities.

This recipient has excelled in serving his community. He has represented farmers through his years in Federated Farmers working at all levels from local to national.

He has been active in many of the community services over a long period of time, including being a trustee of the local Saving Bank, on the board of his local power board, and a trustee of his Trust Power Board.

In particular this man has had a lifetime involvement in his dairy co-operative. He has been a director of his dairy co-operative from the days when there were very many such dairy co-operatives scattered all around the rural countryside till today when there are but three. All that time and through the challenges they each presented this man kept the co-operative candle burning.

A fine contribution to the co-operative and community interests by this man who enjoys the trust and respect of his colleagues and was awarded the Order of New Zealand in 2000.

Monash University is pleased to induct into The Australasian Agribusiness Co-operatives Hall of Honour - John Desmond O’Connor, a director of Westland Co-operative Dairy Company Ltd.

Third inductee:

This inductee to the Hall of Honour has had a very long involvement in rural businesses and in particular, co-operatives.

He has been a director of Ravensdown for many years, and also Cropmark, when that was a co-operative. His involvement with Farmlands has been as a director and latterly as chairman and spans 18 years, the past seven as chairman.

As chairman he provided the leadership and support for the CEO to develop the business, which now achieves an annual turnover of some $260 million.

The profit record of the co-operative is impressive and so is the level of rebates returned to the shareholders.

The shareholders of Farmlands have doubled to 16,000 since he joined the board.

Monash University is pleased to induct into The Australasian Agribusiness Co-operatives Hall of Honour – Hawkes' Bay farmer, David William Ritchie, chairman of directors of Farmlands Trading Society Ltd.