4 | “There are not many female CEOs in New Zealand and I have had women tell me they love working for a female CEO.” REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Apollo Foods - The Apple Press Sally says one key thing she has learned having built the business from scratch is that a lot of people say they want to work for a startup but in reality find it quite challenging. “Every day there are big decisions to be made. It’s not for the faint hearted. But you can also make decisions really fast compared to an established corporate business and have the ability to try new ideas. It’s cool to be able to offer people that opportunity.” Sally says she aims to create an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued. “One of my strength’s is being intuitive in terms of the emotional intelligence side of things. “I foster an inclusive culture where everyone feels valued and take the time to know each team member by name and recognise their unique contributions to the business. Inspiring leader enjoying the journey Apollo Foods co-founder and CEO Sally Gallagher’s strong leadership skills have seen her become a role model to many in the organisation. This saw her win the inaugural Newstalk ZB Inspiring Women in Export Award at the 2023 Hawke’s Bay Export Awards. She was also a finalist for the Inspiring Women Leaders Award at the New Zealand International Business Awards 2023. “There are not many female CEOs in New Zealand and I have had women tell me they love working for a female CEO,” says Sally. “I feel like I’m just doing my job, as a leader not as a female leader particularly. We do have quite a number of senior women on our management team and in our business, not by design, but they were the right people for the jobs.” Born in Hawkes Bay, Apollo Foods is a technology led FMCG beverage company that adds value to New Zealand primary raw materials through creation of premium beverages with brands The Apple Press (which utilises fruit deemed too ‘ugly’ for the regular market) and Boring Oat Milk. Sally says the business has been export led from its inception. Producing over 300 million litres of milk per year, Miraka is a global exporter selling into a range of markets including China, Thailand, Vietnam, Fiji and Guatemala. Environmentally conscious consumers are driving up demand for what they produce. Feeding into Miraka’s sustainability story is that their products are Toitū carbonreduce certified. Karl observes that all of their dairy farm suppliers have been independently assessed, along with their plant. Miraka has also recently gained B Corporation Certification, aligning them with a global movement of world-leading enterprises. For Miraka, it provides independent verification that they are meeting high environmental and social standards. “We took our approach to tikanga, our Miraka - leading the way Miraka is converting its tanker fleet to hydrogen. T T Karen Phelps Māori values and applied a western construct to that by formalising what we already do. “It has opened doors for us as an organisation because it proves that we’re doing the right thing for our people, community and environment.” In January, Miraka facilitated a hui, hosted by NZTE, between nine Māori-owned businesses to discuss the formation of a Māori B Corporation group. This is now gaining momentum and strengthening relationships for all involved. Meanwhile, Miraka is currently looking for more farmer suppliers, (details at www. miraka.co.nz). Miraka pays a combination of loyalty and premium payments of up to 20 cents per kg MS to reward farmers under their farming excellence programme. “If you value kaitiakitanga and farming excellence, then we’d love to hear from you.” T T from page 3 Miraka: 07 377 6380 | www.bfa.co.nz smart people smart business smart outcomes We are proud to work alongside the team at Miraka as Business Advisors and Accountants Monitor and control your critical on-farm infrastructure from anywhere. Agricultural Solutions halosystems.co.nz MPI Registered: KAM1989 Call the team today | North Island 06 879 7255 | South Island 03 573 8232 KAM Transport specialises in the Transportation and Cold Storage. Over the years it has grown from strength to strength in what the client wants to service its business. Our skilled team of professional drivers and modern fleet of vehicles will ensure your products are safely delivered on time and within the strictest food safety guidelines. With over 30 years experience in logistics, you’re in safe hands!
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