Rodney Wong

Rodney is a 3rd generation New Zealand-born Seeyip Cantonese Chinese. He brings over forty years' experience across a variety of private and public business sectors. With an initial background in food production technology, he has held CEO roles (including NZ managing director of FMCG brands e.g. Yoplait, Birdseye, Edgell & Leggos).

More recently he has held numerous professional board roles as Director & Chairman of many diverse organisations e.g. High Value Engineering, Iwi Investments, Airports and Social Service Agencies. He is a former Chair of Crop and Food Research and led the merger to form Plant & Food Research before becoming their Deputy Chair.

He has been awarded Distinguished Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the New Zealand Institute of Food and Science Technology. He received the Palmerston North City Civic Award, its highest recognition for voluntary service to the community, for leading projects such as co-founding the Wildbase Recovery Centre & establishing a foundation to build the new Palmerston North Hospital Children's Emergency Department.

Panellists

Mayor Andy Watson

Andy Watson has been involved in Local Government for nearly 20 years and is currently serving his 5th term as Mayor for the Rangitīkei. Rangitīkei is one of the larger land authorities in New Zealand with the prominent industries being associated with agriculture. Andy has been qualified as a Chair under the RMA and has co-chaired an Internal Affairs led working party on the interface between RMA Reform and the Three Waters Reform process.

Andy gained a Bachelor of Agricultural Science from Massey University and has developed extensive farming properties before farming on his own account. He then diversified into tourism businesses largely based in the greater Auckland area.

Andy is passionate about Local Government and has led the advocacy in dealing with land-locked land issues in the Rangitīkei. Any has been involved with brining industries associated with bioplastics to the Rangitīkei and has been frustrated with being held up within the Environment Court process for the last 5+ years.