Welcome to jamesparsons.co.nz.  Here you can find plenty of relevant information about James and the many hats he wears:  commercial sheep and beef farmer, 2008 Nuffield Farming Scholar, speaker and company director. 

Here is a message from James Parsons

Dear fellow farmers,

I’ve had overwhelming support from many of you to stand for re-election to the Beef + Lamb NZ board. With this encouragement and a strong desire to make a positive difference to our industry, I’m offering myself for a second term.

Here are some aspects to consider as I ask for your vote:

• Experienced – 3 years service already on the board means I’m now really hitting my straps, understanding well the organisations’ strengths and limitations, industry dynamics and politics.
• Hard worker – I’ve worked exceptionally hard in the last 3 years beyond the call of duty as a B+LNZ Director, holding the most woolshed style farmer meetings of any B+LNZ directors ward (54 in the last two years) to lift understanding as to how B+LNZ invests farmers money and gather farmers’ suggestions on how we can do better.
• Value and practice communication – authored monthly columns in three of the Northern North Island’s major regional farming publications to boost communication with farmers.
• Formal leadership training through the Institute for Strategic Leadership.
• Formal Governance training through the Institute of Directors.
• Nuffield Scholar – global understanding of our key markets and the complexities of our red meat supply chains.
• Understand global markets very well – having travelled overseas extensively in the last four years totaling 7 months worth, involving speaking engagements; Beef + Lamb NZ Trade Access work;  and 5 months on a Nuffield Scholarship has enabled me to build up a strong understanding of our key export markets.
• Accomplished speaker and communicator - twice I’ve delivered keynote addresses overseas and delivered speeches at hundreds of events in New Zealand within the last four years.
• Absolutely focused on outcomes, not blind activity.

I’d like to finish by saying while the above credentials are helpful, an individuals’ motivation is often times the most important factor to consider. It is easy to get caught up with the title and status that comes with being a director of an industry board.  My motivation is well removed from the “status” of the position, it is instead focused on the desire to use the skills and abilities I’m fortunate to have and make our farming industry a better and more profitable sector for farmers. I would be privileged to receive your support for another term.

Yours Sincerely

James Parsons

 To find out more about James and his background follow this link.