Rob Hewett - Director (Independent)

Rob farms 10,000 sheep and beef stock units on a breeding/ finishing unit of 1020 ha in Manuka Gorge, South Otago. He is the chairman of Farmlands Co-operative Society Limited,  New Zealand Woolscours Limited (Woolworks), Fern Energy Limited, Hilton Haulage Limited and Pioneer Energy Limited, as well as a Director of T&G Global Limited and Pulse Energy Limited. Rob is a past Council member of Lincoln University and previous Chair of the Strong Wool Action Group (now Wool Impact). He is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a graduate of Lincoln University, holding an MCom (hons) – (Marketing) and a BCom (Ag) (Economics). In 2023, Rob won the Chairman of the Year award in the Deloitte Top 200  and in 2019 the Outstanding Co-operative Contribution award from Co-operative Business New Zealand.

Rob was elected to the board in 2008, became Chair of Silver Fern Farms Limited from December 2013, and chair of Silver Fern Farms Co-operative Limited until May 2024, when he retired as a farmer elected director at the Co-operative's Annual Meeting. Following the May 2024 Annual Meeting the board appointed Rob as an independent director for a term of 12 months, remaining in the role of Co-Chair of Silver Fern Farms Ltd until 2025.