by: Kendall Langston

On 4 December the board and a select group of members gathered in Queenstown to spend a full day reviewing the Vision and Strategy of the AngusNZ Association. Those attending represented a mix of age, gender, diverse thinkers and different backgrounds – all contributing future thinking. The meeting allowed the Vision and Strategic plan to be updated and iterated as the board seeks to create the implementation plan moving forward.

The plan was first set several years ago at a two-day strategic offsite in Akaroa which included board members, younger members and those about to join the board. This plan has provided a real future focus and has actively driven the activities of the board as it has sought to rebuild the culture, reconnect with members, build on services and to engage new sponsors and strategic partners. Largely the focus of this plan has been to focus on the value of our genetic data and to clarify the legal status around storage and future use. 

The constitution was updated, board succession planning has been implemented, governance training, communication platforms established, training and education has been implemented (ongoing) and member surveys have been used to support the board and regional wards to reconnect post covid. There has been significant work completed in establishing (and re-establishing) the relationship with Angus Australia, industry influencers and to implement an investment policy and plan around association funds. There has been considerable effort put into exploring new revenue opportunities to lift non-member revenue streams to fund better services and management resources. This period has required access to good legal advice and technical expertise around genomics and data platforms.

We look forward to sharing the updated plan in early 2024.