Food and Fibre CoVE has a highly experienced team with the ability to leverage stakeholder relationships across Aotearoa New Zealand, supported by a Board with extensive food and fibre sector experience.
Dr Wiremu McMillan runs Wiremu McMillan Consultancy, an agribusiness consultancy specialised in providing service to commercial, industry, Māori-owned, and research and development businesses. Wiremu is Massey University’s first Māori PhD graduate. He is the Chair of Atareta Puaninga McMillan Whanau Trust. A member of several primary industry advisory groups, he has been involved in various research and development initiatives. Wiremu maintains extensive networks in NZ’s primary industries, Māori land entities, and Māori agribusiness. His focus is on supporting more Māori succeeding in all roles in all primary industries, as Māori.
Natalie Bowie has spent 15 years working within food and fibre sector education. Born and raised on a sheep and beef farm in Wairarapa, with family still actively farming around the motu, she is passionate about the sector. Natalie has held board roles at Wairarapa Chamber of Commerce, Dress for Success Wellington and as an Associate Trustee for the Rural Leaders Trust. Natalie is a Kellogg Rural Leadership Programme Alumni and recipient of an AGMART leadership scholarship. Her time in China saw her gain a Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Asia which was spent studying Mandarin, while working in the vocational agricultural education space. She recently completed her Post-Graduate Diploma in Indigenous Studies, with a focus on Māori outcomes in an education setting. After spending 4.5 years working in a senior leadership role up until late 2025, she now consults in the vocational education and training space as the sector continues to undergo significant change.
Olivia Weatherburn, for the past 9.5 years, has had an extension role with Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ ) where she has grown a toolbox of extension delivery experience along with a well-developed networks and strong relationships across the food and fibre sector. As a practical farmer and rural advocate she brings extensive farm system knowledge and understanding. Olivia’s governance experience to date has been within her local community with over 18 years involvement with New Zealand Young Farmers in various leadership committee roles and in recent years with Lions International. For two years Olivia sat on the ‘Primary Industry Capability Alliance’ (PICA) board and she sits on number of advisory boards as part of her role as the national extension programme manager at B+LNZ. For the last 12 months Olivia has been privileged to hold an associate trustee role with the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust which enabled her to bring a basic governance understanding and she see.s this role is a well connected stepping stone. Oliva was recently appointed as a NZ director on the Australasia Pacific Extension Network Board for three years.
With wide-ranging experience across vocational education and training, and primary industries the team thrives on collaborating, enabling and sharing innovative ideas and solutions.
