Macadamia Company Director Profiles

Joint Directors, Vanessa Hayes and Rod Husband have specific management roles for the development of this new industry development.  Vanessa manages the project planning, administration and the overall future direction of the macadamia development.   Rod manages Torere Macadamia Limited's Orchard development and provides grower orchard management, plant delivery service and assists Vanessa with weekend Field Days. 

Day to day management operations of the nursery and orchard is delegated to their dedicated staff and monitored every weekend by Vanessa and Rod, who both operate as busy individuals in Gisborne (2 hours away) during the week. Day to day administration, grower communications and database management for Torere Macadamias is also managed from Vanessa's office in Gisborne.

Vanessa Hayes:
Owns and operates Life Broker Services Ltd, a successful Life and Investment Broker business in Gisborne with a staff of four. She qualified as the 1st women Fellow of the New Zealand Life Brokers Association, continues to be involved in many Insurance Industry groups and has been in the business of assisting clients with risk management protection and financial security for 24 years. Vanessa's insurance business enabled her the time to indulge in her two passions - Sport, representing Poverty Bay in Squash and Tennis; and Macadamias.

Regional and National Business Awards for developing new employment and economic initiatives with her macadamia work in 2005 and 2006, was an unexpected and treasured achievement. Vanessa has three adult children and four grandchildren - all have been involved in her Macadamia dream, nursery and orchard work for most of their lives. Daughter Angelina was fulltime Nursery Manager with up to 5 staff from 2000 to 2007 and daughter Raelyn (fulltime Water Treatment Consultant) is Torere Macadamia's R & D assesor for new varieties. Son Walter left his career as a Glazier in March 2008 to take over from Angelina as Nursery Manager and is relishing his new role while Angelina is enjoying a break and helping her brother when necessary. Both Angelina's teenage children are proficient grafters and excellent nursery workers. With further experience and training, Walter will manage both the Nursery and 4000 tree Orchard for Rod and Vanessa.

The valuable trial block of imported varieties is secure in ownership, with the added benefit of experience in managing and utilising that resource, extending to three generations. This ensures that the valuable resource of macadamia scion wood at Torere, will continue to be the base for developing a viable macadamia industry in NZ.

Rod Husband:
Is the New Vehicle Sales Manager for Eastland Toyota in Gisborne. He is a committed, enthusiastic 'petrol head' who has worked in the motor vehicle industry for most of his life and continues to win many national incentive awards. However, a ten-year interlude of Soccer administration involvement began from 1979 culminating in Rod's appointment as Tour Manager for the NZ All Whites Soccer Team from 1984-87 and Soccer Administration Manager for Harvard Sports Marketing in 1988 with a return to Motor Vehice sales in 1989. Tennis is also Rod's passion and this is where he met Vanessa.

Rod became Vanessa's partner in 1996 and was an enthusiastic assistant to Vanessa and Ian Gordon. Rod's input grew to become invaluable and he joined Vanessa as a director of Torere Macadamias in 2001. Rod's main role is to provide support and consultancy advice to new commercial growers in their developments. He is also managing the harvesting and monitoring and despatch of quality crops to the Processors and continueing the development of their own 4000 tree orchard. Rod also provides backup and support for Vanessa to manage and maintain the overal macadamia trials, nursery operations and her ongoing goal of developing a viable macadamia industry in NZ.