With four years spent in the finance team supporting the wool and real estate business units, Dan Nicholls is not new to PGG Wrightson. But after an opportunity to become the Wool Operations and Business Manager presented itself, he knew he was ready to make the next step up in his career. 

“I had a lot of exposure to the wool business and the management team in my previous role, and I really enjoyed assisting them over those years,” says Dan. 

“This enabled me to build an appreciation for the wool industry as a whole, from a personal and business perspective. Then when this role came up, it appealed to me as I liked the idea of being able to work with a more operational and commercial mindset.” 

Born and raised in Christchurch, Dan studied a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Canterbury before moving to Wellington for a graduate role at Deloitte. Here he started in the insolvency team - witnessing what not to do in business - and then moved into the corporate finance team where he assisted various agricultural and transport-related companies with financial advisory and transactional support. 

Dan left Deloitte to join Dulux NZ’s finance team, where he gained exposure to the inner workings of a corporate, before heading off for an OE. After Dan’s return to New Zealand, he rode out covid then secured his first job at PGW. 

“I was looking to re-enter the finance space with a large entity and at PGW I saw the scope to develop my career within the organisation.” 

This is not only a new role for Dan, but a newly established position within the wool business unit. It comes with the responsibility to oversee and contribute to the four PGW woolstores around the country to ensure they have the right resources, people and equipment in place to continue delivering the high service levels that customers and growers have come to expect. Alongside this is nurturing key relationships with those suppliers and customers, as well as developing and driving forward strategic initiatives, with a future focus in mind.   

“I’ll be the first to admit I don’t have an extensive background in wool, like so many people here at PGW. But after getting out amongst the business over the last few years, I certainly have an ever-growing appreciation of the fibre and everything that goes into taking the wool from a sheep and turning it into a woollen garment or product.” 

While the long term trend has been a declining sheep population, which has a direct impact on wool production, Dan is confident that PGW’s history in the wool industry has them well positioned. And with the support of the PGW Group, they are ready to adapt for the future - assisting their growers and customers to get the best return for their wool. 

Pictured: Dan Nicholls and part of the PGW Wool Leadership Team on a tour of the WoolWork's at Awatoto.

“There has certainly been this global change to pursuing a more eco-friendly approach, and the wool fibre ticks all the right boxes with its amazing natural characteristics,” says Dan.   

“So it’s about us ensuring the product gets put into the market in the most effective way possible and making sure we can facilitate and leverage the supply chain traceability requirements that come with this sustainability focus.” 

Despite these tough challenges in the years ahead, Dan remains positive about how he and the rest of his team can tackle these head on - and exploring new ideas and possibilities will certainly be part of the job. 

“There is an incredible amount of expertise in and around our woolstores, and their knowledge will absolutely be essential in guiding and sense checking possible avenues for change and improvements to the way we do things. 

“I feel that people like myself, coming into the industry from the outside, can bring a different perspective and way of thinking to the table, but be balanced by those who have the experience to know if it is something that has been tried before, or if it has potential. 

“I’ll certainly be leaning into those who have that deep understanding which can only come from having a whole career in wool.” 

And in regards to sharing knowledge, if anyone wants to learn about anything to do with ice hockey, Dan’s your man. Playing since the age of 10 years old, he’s represented many Canterbury and New Zealand teams, including six years for the national Ice Blacks team. And after a mid-career break when he was living in Wellington, Dan’s now back on the ice with the Canterbury Red Devils - just ticking over 100 games in the New Zealand ice hockey league. 

The remainder of his time ‘outside of work hours’ is now focused on his just turned one-year-old son, which Dan says has been a very rewarding addition to his, and partner Sam’s, life.