Donald N.

I believe compliance should not be treated as a burden or an afterthought — it can be the foundation of stronger customer relationships and business growth. Too often, companies manage quality and regulatory systems as “add-ons,” missing the opportunity to use them as a source of trust and differentiation. In my fourth book, Organic to the Core: Transform Your Business with the 6 Principles of Organic, I show how aligning compliance systems with your values can create lasting alliances with customers. By making compliance the core of your business model, you can unlock what consumers are really seeking: trust, integrity, and authenticity. Organic to the Core offers a practical framework to help leaders and organisations turn compliance into a driver of resilience, reputation, and sustainable growth.

I bring over 20 years of executive leadership experience as a CEO, strategist, and policy advisor in sustainability, governance, and international trade. As a published author and frequent speaker, I specialise in organic certification and compliance systems, helping organisations build credibility and unlock new markets. I speak and advise on: • Certification and compliance systems – designing frameworks that enable growth while meeting international standards. • Marketing high-value and certified products overseas – strategies for building trust, achieving certification, and securing sustainable market access. • Governance for SMEs and not-for-profits – practical approaches to strengthening boards, leadership, and long-term strategy. My goal is to equip leadership teams and boards with practical insights at the intersection of certification, governance, and trade — ensuring sustainable growth and lasting impact.

After a decade as CEO, I was appointed Chief Strategy Officer on a to guide BioGro through a major industry transition. My focus has been on strategic leadership, governance support, and ensuring the organisation’s long-term sustainability under new regulatory frameworks. Key Achievements: • Regulatory Leadership: Directing BioGro’s strategic engagement with MPI and industry stakeholders during the rollout of New Zealand’s Organic Products & Production Act, ensuring BioGro’s continued influence in shaping the sector. • Financial & Governance Support: Partnering with the Interim GM and Board to develop pricing models, strengthen cashflow forecasting, and align resourcing strategies to maintain organisational resilience. • Stakeholder Engagement: Deepening BioGro’s relationships with exporters, industry associations, and government agencies, reinforcing the organisation’s reputation as a trusted voice in sustainability and certification policy. • Strategic Initiatives: Designing and presenting forward-looking business plans to support BioGro’s diversification into education, consultancy, and innovation services.

Member – Organic Sector Advisory Council, Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) As an appointed member of MPI’s Organic Sector Advisory Council, I contribute to shaping New Zealand’s regulatory framework for the growth, production, and processing of organic products. The council brings together key stakeholders across government, industry, and certification bodies to provide strategic advice and input. Key Contributions: • Provided industry insight and governance expertise during the development of the Organic Products & Production Act. • Advocated for practical, effective regulatory frameworks that balance compliance requirements with market access needs for producers and exporters. • Represented certification and market access perspectives, ensuring that stakeholder voices were reflected in policy discussions. In this volunteer role, I am entrusted with the responsibility of representing the interests of BioGro New Zealand. They generously support my involvement, recognizing the significance of advocating for the organic sector. Together, we work towards fostering a thriving organic industry in New Zealand.

• Led one of New Zealand’s leading organic certification bodies, enabling access to global export markets including the US, EU, and Asia • Oversaw certification systems supporting hundreds of producers and exporters • Played a key role in navigating major regulatory change (Organic Standards & Production frameworks) • Represented the sector in government advisory forums and industry leadership groups • Strengthened organisational positioning as a trusted partner in market access and compliance My Role: As CEO, I led a $2.7M organisation through a decade of regulatory transition, financial growth, and digital transformation. My leadership strengthened BioGro’s position as the trusted logo for organics in New Zealand and expanded its international influence. Key Achievements: • Directed strategic growth, maintaining financial sustainability while expanding the licensee base to 850+ clients. • Implemented a full digitisation strategy, transforming service delivery into asynchronous systems that improved efficiency and accessibility for clients. • Spearheaded BioGro’s engagement with MPI and JASANZ during the development and implementation of New Zealand’s Organic Products & Production Act. • Built and retained a resilient, high-performing team of 25+ staff, enhancing organisational stability and capability. • Elevated BioGro’s profile as New Zealand’s most recognised and trusted organic certification mark, strengthening brand trust with producers, retailers, and consumers.

Board / Executive Member – Organic Exporters Association of New Zealand About the Association: Founded in 1992, the Organic Exporters Association represents over 130 exporters, with organic exports valued at NZD $330 million annually. Approximately $150 million of this trade is supported by MPI official assurance, while the remainder is exported to markets without formal bilateral arrangements. The Executive Board comprises elected members from across the export sector, alongside permanent representatives from MPI and NZ Trade & Enterprise, with engagement from MFAT as required. The Association is fully funded by its members and has played a pivotal role in establishing organic market access programmes with the EU and US. My Contribution: • Provided strategic input on trade policy, equivalency negotiations, and international market access. • Collaborated with exporters, MPI, and government agencies to resolve regulatory and certification challenges affecting $330m in exports. • Advocated for pragmatic solutions to strengthen New Zealand’s organic export position in competitive international markets. • Supported governance of a cross-sector, government-linked Executive Board, ensuring alignment between industry needs and trade policy.

As a dedicated member of the Sector Leadership Team at Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ), I have been instrumental in driving the development of a robust strategy for the organic sector. Working in collaboration with the sector and with the support of SFFF funding from MPI, OANZ has been actively engaged in this significant project. The Sector Leadership Team, comprising both Council and non-Council members, has played a pivotal role in shaping the strategy and its outcomes. In this volunteer capacity, I have contributed my time and expertise, supported by BioGro New Zealand's generous funding. I possess a strong strategic mindset, leveraging my expertise to contribute valuable insights and guidance throughout the strategy development process. Drawing on my experience and industry knowledge, I have actively collaborated with the Sector Leadership Team to shape a comprehensive and forward-thinking strategy that addresses the needs and aspirations of the organic sector.and shaped the outcomes. It is a volunteer role. BioGro New Zealand funds my time.

The Standards Working Group Technical Team advises members on export and domestic standards changes. It works with the certifiers: AsureQuality, BioGro, Demeter and Organic Farm New Zealand to provide technical comments in a way that can be made into public comments for the Association. It is a volunteer role. BioGro New Zealand funds my time.

Organics Aotearoa New Zealand (OANZ) is the umbrella group providing national leadership and vision for the Organic sector in NZ. Its main purpose is to coordinate the collective resources of the organic sector for the wider interests of NZ. Its member organisations include organic consumers, producers, farmers, retailers, exporters and domestic traders in organic products. It also includes the Maori organics organisation Te Waka Kai Ora. It is a volunteer role. BioGro New Zealand funds my time.

Full authority for budget and sales. Lead a dynamic team responsible for the largest volume of organic products imported from South America into Japan. Expanded import and distribution of organic sugar, organic palm oil, organic fresh banana and organic freeze dried coffee in Asia. Responsible for Sales throughout Asia including Japan, Korea, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Malaysia, Singapore, the Philippines and Indonesia. Expanded into organic cosmetic ingredients including opaque and semi translucent soap pellets, as well as organic glycerin.

Ecocert Japan Ltd. is a wholely owned subsidiary of Ecocert SA, the largest sustainable development certifier in the world. With over 500 employees in 20 countries Ecocert SA offers sustainability audits for organic certifications, carbon footprint, ISO26000, GRI reporting, Ethical Supply Chain and other sustainability audits. As managing director, I was responsible for business development, certification quality, and budget. I reported to the CEO and CFO directly via monthly, quarterly and annual financial and business reports. I had sole budget authority on all salary and expenditure related issues outside of borrowing which required authorization. Our office generated over 1.7 million USD for Ecocert SA through direct and indirect services. I was responsible for a budget of 750,000 USD. I was responsible for the JAS quality system used in 13 of the subsidiaries that we used to manage the qualifications of 165 inspectors and 45 certification offices.

I was one of the founding board members of a unique venture between myself and QAI, Inc. to create QAI's first foreign subsidiary in Japan. I grew the certification business to a point that we attracted a buyer for the company. We sold QAI Japan Ltd. to Ecocert SA in 2002 to create the first partnership between a European and a US organic certifier.

Griffith McLellan and I managed and owned the first foreign-owned organic certification office in Japan. This was a key factor in the Japanese government's move in 1998 to begin to work to establish a domestic organic standard based on Codex. Started and grew the business from zero to 40 clients, all publicly listed companies, in three years with very little start-up capital.