Kendall Langston has been a familiar face within Angus NZ for the past 5 years and is excited to have been elevated to Chairman in March 2026.
“I’m really looking forward to continuing the board role and representing our members and am passionate about agribusiness and Angus cattle. Our family farm has bred Angus going back to the 1950s and I have an Uncle who has previously been the board chair and life member of the Association.”

Kendall says his leadership style will be member-centric, action orientated and intends to listen. “We need to strike the balance between members’ needs with that of the director role and the association as a whole. It’s certainly not easy.”

An important member resolution was passed at the March AGM that Kendall says will form the major part of the work for the next 12 months. The resolution states: “That Angus NZ prepare a Terms of reference for a sub committee to consist of 2 breeding members and appoint 2 non-board members to investigate the future viability of Angus NZ as a standalone association versus entering into an amalgamation or alliance with another breeding association or entity and commission to undertake a SWOT analysis of the merits of such an alliance or amalgamation including consistency of data entry points and data integrity.”

Kendall feels this is a great opportunity to engage members and the industry with the future vision and strategy. “I aim to be open and transparent and let the members decide – it needs to be an independent look at the options ahead in terms of structure, funding, governance, management and delivery of members’ services. Important here is to understand the future data analysis and platforms needed. It is likely the outcome of this project will be put to a member vote at the AGM next year,” he said. “If we get this right, it will set Angus NZ up for the next 20-30 years.”

Pressure points have arisen over the past few years, he said. “It has been harder to get good people into our governance roles and costs across the board are under pressure, as is data integrity and availability of new technology tools. Never before has there been so much ongoing change.”
Effective two way communication with members is an ongoing challenge, but Kendall feels that by supporting ward structures with coordinated WhatsApp groups, e-news, board updates, management support and Ward Chair meetings communication with the regions should improve. “I recognise that communication is a two way thing and our members are diverse and spread across New Zealand. We need members to feel comfortable to raise issues in the right forums so they can be addressed. I took heart at the recent AGM where it was the biggest in-person turnout, the best engagement and the most robust discussions we have had as a group in my time with the Association.”

There is real uncertainty in the economy at the moment and many organisations are rightly taking a wait and see position as the fuel crisis threatens to cause a double dip recession, he said. “On the other hand agribusiness is in great shape and is well placed to significantly contribute to the economy.”

Kendall said it was a busy time around the herd tour, the Board meeting and then the AGM, where Mike Smith stood down as chair but retained his seat on the Board for another year and James Fraser was welcomed to the board. “It’s great that we have retained continuity as we venture into a full schedule of association work”.