The SRG is an elected and appointed body of shareholders established to promote shareholder interests and assist LIC to deliver on its purpose and vision.
SRG members
The SRG comprises of 12 members - two elected members from each of the four territories (Upper North Island, Lower North Island, Upper South Island and Lower South Island) and four further members who are appointed by the SRG.
SRG members hold office for three years and their terms align with our annual meetings for ease of transition and election.
The SRG meets at least 5x annually engaging closely with the board and management across a wide range of LIC’s functions and services.
If this is a role of interest to you, please see the election and eligibility criteria details below.
If you have any concerns or questions, contact your local SRG Member - they're there to help.
Aleisha Broomfield
Te Aroha
M: 027 695 5360
E: [email protected]
Aleisha and partner milk 600 cows across two locations near Morrinsville in the mighty Waikato. Her priority for their herd is efficient, good all-round cows that look tidy. Aleisha is happy to represent the views and interests of LIC shareholders to LIC management and board to maintain a strong co-operative.
Kirsten Watson
Helensville
M: 021 194 9303
E: [email protected]
Kirsten along with her husband Don & 3 teenage sons own a 112ha effective dairy farm in South Head, Hellensville milking 300 high BW X-bred cows, split calving with adjoining leased 150ha runoff.
Kirsten has a Bachelor of Veterinary Science working as veterinarian for 10 years while starting a family and along with Don lower order sharemilking 1600 cows then 50:50 sharemilking 1000 cows before progressing to farm ownwership in 2017.
Kirsten has a passion for monitoring, analysing and improving farm & business performance as well as a special interest in dairy genetics and progressive herd improvement. She has also been actively involved in numerous dairy industry related projects (Nestle, E350, DairyNZ Budget Case Studies & Tiller Talk), as well as a past executive member of NZDIA and Central Plateau Regional Leader. Along with Don they were Central Plateau Sharemilker/s of the Year in 2014 and winners of 2 national merit awards in leadership & pasture management.
She has been a school BOT member, treasurer of the Helensville Rugby Club and is currently active in her sons’ school rowing club.
She has a breadth of grass roots on farm business experience as well as community and industry experience and is ready to hone her skills in the LIC co-operative space. She feels she has the qualities to represent shareholders fairly and with integrity. Her personal approach is empathetic and friendly and she will apply a science and business based methodology to the role. She brings with her core values of a positive can-do attitude, professional integrity, high standards and a dedicated work ethic and is ready to contribute positively towards the future of our Coop.
Mark Hooper
New Plymouth
M: 021 430 558
Mark is a Taranaki born and bred Dairy Farmer. He and his wife Merryn are 4th generation owner operators of a 150ha, 320 cow plus replacements, family farm in Lepperton Nth Taranaki where they have raised a family of 8 children.
Mark is a graduate of Massey University with a BAg and Dip Rural studies and worked for a time with the former MAF as a farm consultant before progressing through Sharemilking to farm ownership. In 2019 he was elected Provincial President for Taranaki Federated Farmers and in 2022 was elected onto the FF National Board.
Mark is also a trustee of Taranaki Rural Support Trust and Vice Chair of the West Coast Leasees Association, he was first elected onto the LIC Shareholder Council in 2018 and is now the current Chair of the SRG.
Shaun Baxter
Dannevirke
M: 027 747 0662
Shaun grew up on a dairy farm in Taranaki. Shaun obtained a Bachelor of Applied Science majoring in Agriculture at Massey University in 1999. Along wife Anna and three children, Harry, Alice and George, Shaun has progressed from Sharemilking to now owning and operating a 144ha dairy farm in Dannevirke milking approximately 300 cows.
Phil Lowe
Ashburton
M: 027 221 4068
E: [email protected]
Phil and his spouse Donna farm 265 hectares milking 920 cows in the Methven district of Mid Canterbury. Phil has been involved with LIC for a long time, with LIC having accepted more than 20 bulls from their stud to be marketed. This has fuelled his intense desire to see the LIC breeding program expand to fulfil the current and future social and environmental requirements of our sector, whilst increasing its shareholders profitability.
Phil was elected to the Shareholders Council (now the Shareholder Reference Group) in 2019. He is also a director of two irrigation supply and delivery companies in the Canterbury region.
Ben Smith
Waimate
M: 021 443 097
Ben and Chloe along with their 3 daughters farm in Waimate South Canterbury. They started dairying in 2009 and in 2016 lower order sharemilking 800 cows with the Paul family. Together they have grown to 4,000 cows over 5 properties.
People, water, cows and co-ops have allowed them to grow an efficient productive farming business. Ben is passionate about the importance of co-ops, delivering semen, water and collecting milk .
Ben has a Bachelor of Commerce in International Business and Management and is also a Director of local irrigation co-op MGI Irrigation Ltd.
Michelle Oldham-Smith
Invercargill
M: 027 665 8957
Michelle is farming in sunny southland over 2 properties as a 50/50 sharemilker on 156ha milking 500 cows and owning a 103ha 300 cow farm winter milking near Winton. Michelle is married to Jeremy and mum of 2 amazing wee boys living in the heart of southland they are now self-contained with adjoining support land with a focus on performance through production and efficiency.
Andrew Wiffen
Hokitika
Andrew and his wife and two daughters farm at Chesterfield which is about 10 minutes drive north of Hokitika. They have an effective platform of 90ha and runoff block of 55ha. They are milking 215 crossbreed cows and currently are SPS members. They have also sold four bulls to LIC.
Nikki Cameron
Leeston
M: 021 817 540
E: [email protected]
Nikki is based in Dunsandel, Canterbury, employed as the General Manager for the AJ Pye Farming group. This is made up of 9 dairy farms (8,500 cows), 8 drystock/support blocks, plus 20,000 hectares in Tasmania with 4 dairy sheds (2,500 cows) and 20,000 head of cattle.
Nikki has a passion for agriculture and supporting companies that demonstrate good values around environmental and sustainable practices. With a strong commercial background, 20+ years in senior executive roles, she has developed excellent financial, project management and leadership skills.
Daniel Joho
Ashburton
M: 027 469 4179
Dan lives at Carew in Mid Canterbury with his wife Laura with their three daughters Matilda, Georgie and Annie. They moved to the South Island seven years ago after Dan originally grew up in Dannevirke and worked on his 350 cow family Dairy Farm there. 5 years ago they sold the farm up north and are now equity partners in a 600 cow farm with Dan’s parents just out of Ashburton as well as lower order sharemilking another 1300 cow farm in Carew.
Frances Beeston
Ashburton
M: 027 648 8379
E: [email protected]
Frances is a passionate advocate for the NZ dairy industry and rural communities, bringing over 20 years of dairy farming experience to her many roles as a mum, farmer, wellness advocate, mycoplasma bovis coordinator, business director, team member, and partner. She is dedicated to creating better outcomes for farmers and believes strongly in inclusion and collaboration.
As a member of the SRG, Frances is honored to represent LIC shareholders and is committed to hearing their views. She welcomes questions and feedback via contact details listed above. Together, we can ensure that our rural communities and farmers thrive!
SRG elections
Elections are held on a territorial and rotational basis to coincide with our annual meeting.
Dates for SRG member elections
Annual meeting 2025 – 1x Upper North Island member, 1x Lower North Island member and 1x Upper South Island member
Annual meeting 2026 – x1 Lower South Island member, 1x Lower North Island member and 1x Upper South Island member
Annual meeting 2027 - x1 Lower South Island member and 1x Upper North Island member
Criteria Shareholder Reference Group
Nominees should be passionate about the dairy sector, excellent communicators and well connected with their local community. An understanding and interest in animal evaluation is also sought.
Shareholder Reference Group elected members must be an LIC shareholder, use at least one of LIC’s herd testing options and/or GeneMark services, and artificially inseminate at least 60% of one of their herds with semen marketed by LIC.
No person can hold office as a Director and a Shareholder Reference Group member concurrently.
Shareholder Reference Group appointed members must be associated with an LIC participant code and shareholder – meaning that a Director, trustee, senior manager or other senior representative of a relevant shareholder (as determined by the Shareholder Reference Group in its ultimate discretion) may be eligible for appointment to the Shareholder Reference Group.
For further detail please refer to the Shareholder Reference Group Terms of Reference and LIC Constitution found at Corporate governance | LIC
