_{05th August, 2026}

Salmon Smolt New Zealand Limited

Organisation description
Salmon Smolt New Zealand Limited (SSNZ) is a specialist aquaculture company that hatches and raises premium Chinook salmon smolt for four of New Zealand’s leading industry growers: High Country Salmon Limited, Sanford Limited, Ahi Mokopuna Limited Partnership and Mount Cook Alpine Salmon Limited.

SSNZ seeks an experienced independent Chair to join the Board of Directors and the executive management team to provide strategic direction, ensure robust governance, mediate shareholder interests, and oversee the execution of the company’s operations, capital programme and growth.

Given SSNZ’s role as a specialist producer of Chinook salmon smolt and its importance to New Zealand’s salmon industry, the Board is seeking a Chair who combines excellent governance capability with a practical understanding of primary production systems and the challenges associated with producing high-quality stock.

Particular skills/competencies sought
Key Responsibilities:

• Chair and lead Board meetings; set meeting agendas in consultation with management and directors.
• Provide independent leadership among the four shareholder interests represented on the Board.
• Provide strategic oversight of the business’s multi-year agenda, including capacity expansion, capital renewals, resource consent renewal and production development initiatives.
• Ensure the Board discharges its governance responsibilities: health and safety, financial oversight, risk management, compliance, stakeholder accountability, and strategic execution.
• Foster effective working relationships between the Board, executive management, and shareholders.
• Provide governance oversight of the General Manager, including agreed objectives, performance review, leadership support and appropriate succession planning.
• Champion the company’s quality-first values and strategic growth ambitions.
• Advise management on major strategic, financial, operational, and regulatory matters.

The Ideal Candidate Will Bring:

• Proven experience on boards, ideally in a Chair or Deputy Chair capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a Board effectively, including agenda setting, stakeholder management, and governance discipline.
• Demonstrated governance, executive or senior leadership experience within the primary sector is highly desirable. Candidates should possess a sound understanding of animal production systems, biosecurity, environmental management, regulatory compliance and the commercial drivers in New Zealand. Experience within salmon farming, hatchery operations, seafood production or a related primary industry would be highly regarded.
• Financial acumen: comfort with financial statements, margins, profitability, capital planning and cash flow. Ability to understand the economics of the business and challenge management on financial performance.
• Multi-stakeholder management: experience working with shareholders who are also customers or suppliers, handling conflicts of interest, and maintaining neutrality.
• Strategic thinking and execution: ability to understand complex, multi-year capital and operational projects, including regulatory pathways, and to support their delivery.
• Experience working closely with chief executives or general managers, including performance assessment, objective setting, succession planning, leadership development, and providing constructive support and challenge. Proven ability to coach and develop executives while maintaining clear governance accountability.

Commitment required
Approximately eight days per annum, including Board meetings (typically quarterly), strategic planning and shareholder engagement.

Term
Initial appointment for three years, with mutual review and option to extend.

Geographical considerations
Board meetings are held in Canterbury, with occasional travel to shareholders’ operations. The role can be performed flexibly; meetings may be conducted in person or remotely.

To Apply
Please submit a resume and a word version of your cover letter.

Applications close 28 August, for further information please contact michelle.pearson@iod.org.nz

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