New Business Development Manager driven to help corporate farmers lift productivity and make efficiency gains
Wednesday, 17 May, 2023
Gallagher has appointed a new Business Development Manager to partner with corporate farmers as they look for sustainable ways to lift productivity and make efficiency gains.
Born and bred on the West Coast, Mark Maitland has spent most of his life in Canterbury where he has been Gallagher’s territory manager for the last six years, working with both corporate and family farming operations. He has a background in dairy automation and hygiene and brings to the role a lifetime connection to and passion for farming.
Mark has genuine insight into life behind the farm gate and an in-depth understanding of the challenges beyond it that are impacting New Zealand farming.
“There are hundreds of corporate farming entities operating in New Zealand. In one sense, they are under the same pressures as other farmers – to produce more using less inputs, while treading with a lighter environmental footprint.
“But because of their sheer size, the volume of product they produce, the number of animals they manage and staff they employ, every challenge is multiplied.
“As New Zealand farming comes under increasing pressure to meet industry compliance and global demands, it is critical we understand what our corporate farming customers need to remain sustainable and profitable.
“I want to know exactly what corporate farmers are trying to achieve and how can we help them get there. Where do they want to make incremental advancements? What obstacles stand in their way? What trends are surfacing within the industry and what long-term profitability projects have they earmarked for investment?”
Mark knows technology needs to work for each unique farm system. Farmer feedback has always been a key part of Gallagher’s product development process and making sure its solutions make farmers’ lives easier and protect what matters most to them.
“The genius of Gallagher is its ability to accurately match its technical solutions to the real-world problems farmers face, both here in New Zealand and around the globe,” says Mark.
“One size does not necessarily fit all. That’s why we develop solutions that are tailored to specific farm systems – and that includes larger and more complex corporate farm systems.
“We listen to farmers before we develop our products. That involves asking the right questions and feeding customer perspectives back to our R&D teams.”
Even though Mark’s role as business development manager will place him deep within the systems of largescale operations, he knows that farming is essentially about relationships. Something he learned in his time at territory manager.
“For six years, I’ve talked with individual farmers about their businesses and their lives. Doesn’t matter how big an operation gets, it’s still all about people and doing the right thing by them.
“I grew up on the West Coast and now own a block of land in Canterbury. Throughout my rural career I’ve worked on dairy, sheep and beef farms. So, I know how important it is to understand people and the direction they have for their farm business. Doing my job well depends on it.”
You can contact Mark via email on mark.maitland@gallagher.com
Born and bred on the West Coast, Mark Maitland has spent most of his life in Canterbury where he has been Gallagher’s territory manager for the last six years, working with both corporate and family farming operations. He has a background in dairy automation and hygiene and brings to the role a lifetime connection to and passion for farming.
Mark has genuine insight into life behind the farm gate and an in-depth understanding of the challenges beyond it that are impacting New Zealand farming.
“There are hundreds of corporate farming entities operating in New Zealand. In one sense, they are under the same pressures as other farmers – to produce more using less inputs, while treading with a lighter environmental footprint.
“But because of their sheer size, the volume of product they produce, the number of animals they manage and staff they employ, every challenge is multiplied.
“As New Zealand farming comes under increasing pressure to meet industry compliance and global demands, it is critical we understand what our corporate farming customers need to remain sustainable and profitable.
“I want to know exactly what corporate farmers are trying to achieve and how can we help them get there. Where do they want to make incremental advancements? What obstacles stand in their way? What trends are surfacing within the industry and what long-term profitability projects have they earmarked for investment?”
Mark knows technology needs to work for each unique farm system. Farmer feedback has always been a key part of Gallagher’s product development process and making sure its solutions make farmers’ lives easier and protect what matters most to them.
“The genius of Gallagher is its ability to accurately match its technical solutions to the real-world problems farmers face, both here in New Zealand and around the globe,” says Mark.
“One size does not necessarily fit all. That’s why we develop solutions that are tailored to specific farm systems – and that includes larger and more complex corporate farm systems.
“We listen to farmers before we develop our products. That involves asking the right questions and feeding customer perspectives back to our R&D teams.”
Even though Mark’s role as business development manager will place him deep within the systems of largescale operations, he knows that farming is essentially about relationships. Something he learned in his time at territory manager.
“For six years, I’ve talked with individual farmers about their businesses and their lives. Doesn’t matter how big an operation gets, it’s still all about people and doing the right thing by them.
“I grew up on the West Coast and now own a block of land in Canterbury. Throughout my rural career I’ve worked on dairy, sheep and beef farms. So, I know how important it is to understand people and the direction they have for their farm business. Doing my job well depends on it.”
You can contact Mark via email on mark.maitland@gallagher.com