Mon
@ Chateau
09
Young Achiever’s Muster
A dedicated session for those who make the Award possible — our Award partners (sponsors) and alumni — offering a unique opportunity to connect and engage with the next generation of agricultural leaders
When the Ground Shifts: Leading Through Disruption on the Land
In this three-hour, hands-on workshop, participants will share experiences, build confidence, and learn practical tools for navigating disruption — from everyday pressures to major events such as storms, floods, and other disasters. You’ll explore how recovery really works after disruptive events and gain strategies to respond, adapt, and get back on your feet. Through lively discussion, reflective activities, and real-world examples, the session draws on global and local leadership lessons that help make sense of tough times. Connect with others, strengthen collaboration, and build the mindsets that steady you, your farm, your business, for whatever comes next.
12:30
Registration, meet and greet alumni, board, sponsors
1:30
Muster workshop with Elizabeth, as described above
4:30
Mix and mingle drinks - post workshop
Summit Welcome - All Attendees
5:00
Registration - hotel foyer
6:00
Food, Fun and Friends
The courtyard is open, grab a slice of pizza or a burger, a drink from the cash bar — perfect for a casual hangout with fellow attendees. Bookings essential - more info to come. Pricing TBC
Tues
@ Chateau
10
Impact Summit Day One
8:00
Registration - hotel foyer
Venue: The Great Hall
8:30
Summit Opens
8:45
Welcome and Introduction to the Summit
9:00
Opening Address
Christopher Luxon, PM - attendance to be confirmed
Day One Presentations, including Q&A time at the end of each session
9:15
Climbing Grit Mountain: Leading When the Disruption Doesn’t End
Make the most of the hand we’re dealt, together. Drawing on her experience in disaster recovery and leadership, Elizabeth reframes grit as something we design, not just endure. Along the way, she uses laughter as an unexpectedly honest signal of how you’re really tracking. Be more prepared, more connected, and tooled up for whatever may come your way.
10:00
Session Topic #2. To Be Confirmed
Keep an eye on an update about this Speaker session - we wouldn't want to unveil everything all at once!
10:45
Morning Tea - Camelot Room
11:15
Setting your Business up to Win
What business practices and philosophies are required for businesses to not only survive but to succeed in this volatile and uncertain world? Drawing from his range of business experience across multiple businesses and industries, Richard will talk about what he has observed in resilient and successful businesses and leaders.
12:00
Whanau, Whenua, and Whakapapa – Farming Families, the Land, and Our Legacy
How united communities can share resources and accelerate recovery following devastating events
1:00
Lunch - Camelot Room
2:15
Close up and Personal - an Interview
To be confirmed
While the speaker is still under wraps, prepare for a standout half-hour interview with a remarkable voice you’ll be glad to hear.
3:00
When Winning Is Just the Beginning
In this presentation, Nancy and Tessa talk about how a single moment of recognition can shape what comes next. They’ll reflect on the doors the Award opened, the growth that followed and how early success can be channelled into meaningful, ongoing impact.
3:40
Meet the Award's Finalists for 2026
A quick fire introduction to the 2026 finalists:
NZ: Chloe Butcher-Herries, Karn Dhaliwal, Lana Marshall
Australia: Nicholas Van den Berg, Caitlin Crowe, Bryce Neyland
4:05
Head to the Camelot Room, grab a drink, and pull up a chair for the next session
4:30
Milk, Money & the Mood of the Nation
Pull up a chair and hear insights on dairy, the economy and New Zealand’s outlook
5:15
Day One Close
Zanda McDonald Award Celebration Dinner
Chateau on the Park - The Great Hall
6:30
Pre-dinner drinks
7:00 -
11:00
Join us for a very special evening of good company, shared pride and celebration as we announce the 2026 Zanda McDonald Award winners.
Dress code: Semiformal
Wed
@ Chateau
11
Impact Summit Day Two
6:30 -
7:15
Kickstart in the Park: a fun, challenging morning fitness session in Hagley Park, with NZ's 2024 Award winner Nancy Crawshaw, proving that from solid foundations, we rise (no gym membership required)
Venue: The Great Hall
Day Two Presentations, including Q&A time at the end of each session
8:45
Solid Foundations Under Fire: Leadership Forged in Adversity
Jamie draws on nearly two decades with the NZSAS, including leading a key assault during the 2011 Taliban siege of Kabul’s Intercontinental Hotel, to reveal how leadership is built, tested, and proven under extreme pressure. From elite military operations to mentoring future leaders, Jamie shares hard-earned lessons on resilience, accountability, and the foundations required to lead when it matters most.
9:45
Rupture and Challenge: New Zealand and the New World Trade Order
This presentation considers the rupture of the international trading system and offers a perspective on what may lie ahead and how New Zealand needs to respond.
10:30
Morning Tea - Camelot Room
11:15
Technology (Alone) isn’t the Answer
Technology has enormous potential in farming - but only when it is grounded in strong foundations, trusted data, and the capability to turn insight into action. Drawing on Pāmu’s transformation journey, this session explores why technology investments must be business-led, not tool-led.
12:00
From Ruin to Resilience: Creaing Value When Everything Changes
Drawing on his experience transforming a rugged, historically difficult hill-country station into a diversified and thriving enterprise that blends sustainable farming, eco-tourism, conservation and value-added products, Dan shares how embracing change, working with the land rather than against it, and diversifying income streams have helped him build resilience and create enduring value in Blue Duck Station.
12:45
Lunch - Camelot Room
2:00
Panel Discussion - Topic TBC. Led by Sarah How, Landify, 2025 NZ Finalist
2:45
Leaft Foods: Bringing a Step-Change to Land Use Productivity
Maury outlines how Leaft Foods is challenging conventional land use models to dramatically lift productivity while aligning with environmental and economic realities
3:30
People First, Results Follow: Building Foundations for Sustainable Growth
Strong results are built on solid foundations. Zion shares leadership lessons from a journey that began in New Zealand and reached the global stage. Drawing on experience leading teams through growth, change and pressure, Zion explores what it means to put people first when it matters most. This session offers ideas you can apply on the farm, in your business, and in your community to build teams and results that last.
4:30 - 4:45
Wrap up and Close
James Robertson, MC, & Shane McManaway, Award Chair
Picnic in the Park: Farewell Feast
Ilex Cafe, Hagley Park
6:00 -
9:00