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The Ruralco Board is pleased to announce the appointment of Jessie Chan-Dorman as Chair Elect following the decision of current Chairman, Alister Body, to step down from his role and pursue broader agribusiness interests.

Jessie has served with distinction on the Ruralco Board since 2013 and chairs the Risk Committee. When she is formally appointed as Chair in June of this year, Jessie will become the first female Chair of a major New Zealand agribusiness co-op – another sign of how Ruralco is leading the way in New Zealand farming.

The 2018 Fonterra Dairy Woman of the Year, Jessie and her husband Hayden lease 420 hectares and milk 850 cows at Dorie on the south side of the Rakaia River in Canterbury. Last year, she attended the Te Hono Stanford Bootcamp at Stanford University in California focused on improving the competitiveness of New Zealand’s primary sector on the world stage. She has an honours degree from Massey University in animal science and has worked in various roles across policy and research and development, before becoming a farmer and business leader.

The Ruralco Board congratulates Jessie on her appointment and looks forward to continuing to grow the business under her leadership.