
PGG Wrightson Academy Launches 2025 Programme
The PGG Wrightson Academy is set to embark on another transformative year, with the 2025 programme kicking off this February in Christchurch. The upcoming cohort will join the ranks of over 300 PGW employees who have completed this prestigious programme since its establishment in 2006, marking nearly two decades of cultivating excellence in agricultural services.
This year's participants will dive into a comprehensive year-long journey, beginning with their first workshop in Christchurch on February 26-27. The programme continues its tradition of bringing together rising stars from across the country with a collaborative learning environment that reflects the diverse nature of New Zealand’s agricultural and horticultural industries.
The Academy participants for 2025 were announced at the 2024 PGG Wrightson Academy Awards night held in November last year. We welcome the following participants to the programme:
- Becca Kempstone, Customer Service Representative, Motueka
- Georgia Mason, Customer Service Representative, Richmond
- Jade Sandford, Customer Service Representative, Hawera
- Lee Kire, Customer Service Representative, Kaikohe
- Paula Dalldolf, Customer Service Representative, Hastings
- Carla Tunbridge, Customer Service Representative, Stratford
- Briar Hall, Customer Service Representative, Te Kuiti
- Danielle Cooper, Customer Service Representative, Mayfield
- Emma Cotton, Customer Service Representative, Balclutha
- Grace Tye, Assistant Store Manager, Te Awamutu
- Annalise Mackie, Customer Service Representative, Otautau
- Samara Johnston, Customer Service Representative, Geraldine
- Steve Court, Customer Service Representative, Tatuanui
- Michael Beattie, Trainee Livestock Representative, Dunedin
- Hayden Bernhard, Trainee Livestock Representative, Hamilton
- Lachie Crafar, Trainee Livestock Representative, Christchurch
- Elliot Warrender, Trainee Livestock Representative, Invercargill
- Hayley MacDonald, Trainee Livestock Representative, Gore
Through our valued partnership with the Primary Industry Training Organization (Primary ITO), participants will work towards achieving their Certificate in Rural Servicing (NZQA Level 4). Kerryn Bloomfield from Primary ITO will maintain regular communication with participants and attend workshops, ensuring a seamless learning experience throughout the year.
“The New Zealand primary industry is facing a myriad of new challenges, from climate change to biodiversity improvement,” Milton Munro, Technical Team Manager and Academy Convenor says.
“As an industry, we need the next generation of farm and orchard advisors to be trouble shooters and problem solvers. Academy participants build those critical thinking skills through the Certificate in Rural Servicing—to identify farm productivity issues, develop innovative and novel solutions, and then model the impact on the farm system and the profitability of the enterprise. It's an exciting time to watch these people from across the business grow and develop.”
A key takeaway from Academy for Rose Barker, Sales & Design Engineer in our Water team and winner of the Academy Futures Award in 2024 was the power of working together. She said, “I have learned collaborating with other reps from the business can build a wider and stronger picture of a client’s entire farm system, allowing us to deliver the best possible solution to our client.”
She also has some advice for this year’s participants, “Give everything a go and soak up all the information from the unique opportunities with guest speakers and workshops. Most importantly, form working relationships with the rest of your Academy team and network with the other members of the business you will meet along the year.”
Our 2025 programme features four intensive workshops; Christchurch in February, Hastings in late April, Otago in August and the final workshop in December in the North Island with details still being finalised.
For our 2025 participants, the Academy represents not just a training programme, but a gateway to excellence in rural services and a foundation for long-term career success at PGG Wrightson. We wish them all the best as they move through the programme and look forward to following their progress.