New Zealand Winegrowers has announced the election of Steve Green as chairman and John Clarke as deputy chairman.
Mr Green is proprietor of Carrick, a boutique Central Otago winery; he succeeds Stuart Smith of Marlborough who has stepped down after six years in the role. Mr Green has been involved in the Central Otago grape and wine industry since 1994. He has previously served as chairman of Central Otago Winegrowers and has been on the New Zealand Winegrowers Board since 2005, serving for the last three years as deputy chair.
Mr Clarke is a Gisborne grape grower with over 30 years experience in the grape and wine industry. Mr Clarke, who is a former Gisborne mayor, has previously served for 10 years as the chair of Gisborne Winegrowers and joined the New Zealand Winegrowers Board in 2006.
“Being elected to the chair of New Zealand Winegrowers by my industry peers and colleagues is a huge honour. I am succeeding Stuart Smith who was a tireless advocate for the industry and was held in wide respect by all stakeholders. Stuart has left the board and New Zealand Winegrowers in a very strong position,” Mr Green says.
“I look forward to working with deputy chairman John Clarke, the board as a whole, and our management team led by chief executive Philip Gregan to further the interests of our industry. The 2011 Strategic Review of the sector has provided a sound base from which to work and our focus is on delivering the outcomes agreed in response to the Review.”
Mr Green says he is optimistic about the future for New Zealand wine.
“The sector has been through tough times in the last few years, but we are definitely seeing signs of improvement. Our intentional reputation remains strong and this is a good base from which to begin the next phase of our evolution. A key success factor for us will be for all parts of the industry – growers, regions and wineries – to continue to work together through New Zealand Winegrowers in the interests of the New Zealand wine category and the sector as a whole.”
