The Farmlander - Shannon's Interview
Recently, Shannon was profiled as a Rural Leader in the Farmlander, you can read the interview from the article below:
Shannon Harnett, owner and Managing Director of Rural Accountants in in Whakatane was awarded the Nuffield Scholarship for 2020. Despite facing Covid related challenges, Harnett says the experience was hugely beneficial and resulted in her being a better team member, leader and coach.
I'm an owner and Managing Director of Rural Accountants in Whakatane. We provide accounting and strategic services for clients predominately but not exclusively in the rural sector. I'm a Chartered Accountant and a Chartered Member of the Institute of Directors and hold a post graduate diploma in agri-commerce. I'm involved in multiple kiwifruit, Rockit apple, sheep and beef and dairy farming syndicates at Board level.
My Nuffield experience has been disrupted by Covid travel restrictions. On the bright side, it has enabled me and my 2020 cohort to travel around New Zealand looking at primary sector businesses and other large New Zealand organisations. I have gained a far better understanding of the New Zealand primary sector than I otherwise would have had, had the international travel been available in 2020. However, I have not entirely missed out on overseas Nuffield travel and I'm very excited to be heading to Argentina, France, Poland and Ireland later this year.
What in particular are you passionate about in the sector your work?
Nuffield also focuses heavily on personal development. I think my workmates would agree that I am a better team member, leader and coach for doing the programme. I am certainly now more strategic in my thinking.
My Nuffield report, titled Getting Plant Varieties Right, focused on the commercial benefits of plant variety rights and other considerations that need to be met to make for a successful "NZ Inc" now and in to the future. I became very interested in plant varieties when I got the opportunity to be part of Rockit Apple. I was the Group Financial Controller and 21C for the company until I moved to Whakatane in 2017.
By doing the Nuffield programme and writing my report on PVRs I gained a wider understanding of the benefits that the PVR system brings to the horticulture industry; also, an appreciation that the rules of the game are changing, driven by legislative and market forces bringing more focus to social and environmental factors.
I have really learnt a lot during the Nuffield programme, and I would encourage anyone who is thinking about applying to just do it. My advice to future Nuffield scholars is get a good system for capturing notes and make time to reflect on them. There is a lot of information that comes at you and most of it is gold.”