Throughout her career, Ruth Leary has sought to add value to New Zealand’s primary sector.
She has enormous respect for what the nation’s farmers achieve on the land, earning them a stellar global reputation, and is passionate about helping them continue to lead the way in supplying premium, sustainable food and fibre.
Following her food science degree from Otago University, her career initially took off in technical roles. She later entered commercial b2b roles with more significant responsibilities across the APAC region.
“I’ve worked for a large global agribusiness, the world's largest fermentation (yeast) company, and have been a shareholder of a New Zealand specialty ingredients business. I’ve also trained as a brewer and have an MBA, so my education has been quite diverse,” said Leary, head of strategy and engagement at AgriZeroNZ.
She was seconded to her role at AgriZeroNZ from Synlait, a dairy company focusing on high-value nutritional milk products, and she was keen to dive into this area, which linked agriculture, sustainability, and investment.
“What we have done in the two years of AgriZeroNZ has been impressive. We are a world-first public-private joint venture helping to shape the industry of livestock emissions reduction.”
AgriZeroNZ has also invested in solutions for farmers and accelerated the progress of several innovative start-ups. Although the company has made great strides, Leary said there was plenty more to do.
Leary acknowledged that the work done at AgriZeroNZ was critical to the success and profitability of New Zealand’s future, which has been a massive motivator for her passion, along with that of others she has met in the industry, especially the women.
“I love talking to Julia Jones for her insight and no-fluff approach, Emma Crutchley for her authenticity and drive to introduce sustainable farming practises, and Jessie Chan for her incredible experience and leadership.”
