Sue started her career as a laboratory technician at the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry’s Wallaceville campus (an AgResearch predecessor organisation) in her late teens before gaining a PhD from Otago University.
Sue’s science background, proven operational and strategic experience and strong understanding of local government, means she is ideally placed to lead the research institute with 700 staff and four New Zealand campuses.
AgResearch Board chair Dr Paul Reynolds says: “Sue has worked with scale and complexity, has a proven success record and is held in high political regard across the Dunedin and the New Zealand local government sector, and by central government agencies”.
Sue says she is looking forward to returning to the environment where she began her working life as a laboratory technician in her teens.
“Now is a great time to be working back in science,” she says.
“The whole country has seen how important good science is for the wellbeing of New Zealanders, and AgResearch is at the forefront of that good science.”
