NZ Young Farmers
Board of Directors
Our Board
The Board is responsible for overseeing the strategic management of NZ Young Farmers and guiding its overall direction.
It sets goals and policies, works to influence decision makers, and ensures the Society runs smoothly.
The Board works with the National Office team to ensure members have access to learning opportunities, are informed on important issues, and promote a strong, unified image of the organisation.
Kate Denholm
Elected Board Chair
(Elected 2025)
Kate Denholm is a passionate Young Farmer based in the Manawatū, where she manages a 700-cow Holstein Friesian dairy farm. Outside of work, she is actively involved in New Zealand Young Farmers and enjoys spending time with family and friends.
Kate is driven by a commitment to ensuring NZ Young Farmers delivers meaningful value to its members and the wider industry, both today and for future generations.
Current Roles:
- Chair, People and Culture Committee
- Vice Chair, Contest Sub-Committee
- Member, National Committee
Stanley Fraser
Elected Board Member
(Elected 2023)
Stanley Fraser is a Chartered Accountant based in Ohakune, working for Ātihau - Whanganui Incorporation while also helping run his family’s sheep and beef farm. Deeply connected to both agriculture and heritage, Stan actively contributes to several charitable and community organisations, including New Zealand Young Farmers, Whanganui Local Committee for Chartered Accountants ANZ and the Manawatu Vintage Machinery Club. He also serves his local community as a Justice of the Peace and Marriage Celebrant.
Stan was elected to the New Zealand Young Farmers Board in 2023.
He sees his role on the Board as an opportunity to give back to an organisation that has given him so much. His focus is on asking the right questions to help ensure New Zealand Young Farmers continues to succeed and grow, building on the strong foundation already in place for the benefit of future members.
Current Roles:
- Chair, Audit & Risk Committee
- Member, National Committee
Previous Roles:
- Member, Audit & Risk Committee
- Chair, National Committee
Elected Board Member
November 2025
Jessica is based in Christchurch, working in rural banking alongside large scale farming and corporate agri businesses. She has been a NZYF member since 2016 in clubs across the country from Northland to Otago.
She is passionate about the NZYF organisation and the role it has with supporting young people in the food and fibre sector and their communities for years to come.
Grahamn Johnson
Elected Board Member (2025)
Valentine Tauamiti
Independent Board Member
(Appointed 2023)
Valentine joined the NZ Young Farmers Board in 2023 as an Independent Director, bringing a wealth of experience from the not-for-profit sector. He is currently the CEO of New Zealand’s largest provider of external health and wellbeing services for secondary schools.
With over a decade of involvement in a business rooted in the rural sector, Valentine is passionate about delivering New Zealand-designed products tailored to our unique climate and lifestyle. His governance experience spans several sectors—he serves as a Director of the Canterbury Rugby Football Union and the Pacific Rugby Players (the international players' union representing Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga), and is an Independent Director for a South Island-based hotel group.
Valentine’s passion for governance was sparked in his early twenties through rugby, and he has since remained committed to ensuring the voices of grassroots communities and players are represented at all levels of decision-making—club, provincial, and national.
His connection to NZ Young Farmers is personal, shaped by a childhood spent in Little River on Banks Peninsula, where on-farm experiences and community life created lifelong friendships. Valentine believes the leadership development pathway offered through NZ Young Farmers is among the best in the country, and he’s excited to support and help shape the next generation of sector leaders.
Current Roles:
- Member, Contest Sub-Committee
Malcolm Nitschke
Independent Board Member
Appointed 2021
Current Roles
- Member, People and Culture Committee
Previous Roles:
- Member, Contest Sub-Committee
Vanessa Winning
Independent Board Member
Appointed 2024
Current Roles:
- Member, Audit and Risk Committee
- Member, People and Culture Committee
NZYF Chief Executive
Cheyne Gillooly
Chief Executive NZ Young Farmers
Chief Executive of New Zealand Young Farmers, Cheyne Gillooly has been in the role since June 2025.
Cheyne brings a rich blend of government, primary‑sector, investment, and business‑development experience.
Before joining NZYF, he served as Director Operations, Agriculture and Investment Services at the Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI), where he led strategic initiatives to support regional development, drive innovation, and strengthen ties between government and the agri‑sector.
A passionate champion of rural New Zealand, Cheyne understands the importance of creating sustainable career pathways for talent in the food‑and‑fibre sector and he is keen to ensure that NZYF continues to empower the next generation of agri‑leaders.