Business Symposium Speakers

 Chris Lynch, Mutt Lynch Winery

A twenty-year veteran of the global fine wine business, Chris has held senior marketing and management roles in California, Australia and New Zealand. This includes positions at Beam Wine Estates, Pernod Ricard, Allied Domecq, Chandon Estates, Kendall-Jackson Winery and Gallo Winery. 

From 2004 to 2007, Chris lived in New Zealand working for Allied Domecq and Pernod Ricard. He started as General Manager, Global Marketing and then moved on to be Managing Director of Montana Wines, a $200 million global wine company and New Zealand’s largest. 

Chris now dedicates his full attention to Mutt Lynch Winery, which he and wife Brenda started in 1995.  Mutt Lynch Winery is located in Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, and specialises in artisan produced wines that sport dog-themed labels. 

Matt Kramer 

American wine critic since 1976, who is a columnist for The Oregonian, and since 1985 a regular contributor to Wine Spectator. He has been described by Mike Steinberger as "one of the more insightful and entertaining wine writers around" and by Hugh Johnson as "an intellectual guerrilla among wine writers".

Tim Burnside 

Tim, an Associate Director within the Deloitte Christchurch Corporate Finance service line, has over 12 years experience of providing financial advisory and accounting services both in New Zealand and internationally.

While his current role at Deloitte sees him serving a wide range of clients, Tim has a particular interest in Agribusiness including a number of clients within New Zealand’s wine industry.
Tim is also responsible for the project management and production of the annual Deloitte NZ Wine Industry Financial Benchmarking survey compiled in conjunction with NZ Wine Growers.  The survey provides valuable insights into the financial well-being of the industry for both wineries and those serving the industry.

 Mark Majzner, Antipodes Premium Wines

Mark Majzner founded Antipodes Premium Wines in Sweden in 2004, introducing the wine club concept to Swedish consumers. In 2007, a change in EU allowed Mark's company to compete directly with the government owned alcohol monopoly, Systembolaget, and offer home delivery. Antipodes' wine clubs are now the dominant player in Sweden’s direct sales market and the biggest legal competitor to Systembolaget with over 170,000 members.

Mark is an Australian born former journalist and businessman who worked for many years in Hong Kong and also in New Zealand, Germany and the United States. He has lived in Stockholm since 2001 with his Swedish wife, with whom he foundered the company, and their two children.

 Mimi Avery, Averys Wine Merchants

With eighteen years experience in the wine industry, Mimi has been the buyer for Averys Wine Merchants since 2005.

Mimi is an avid traveller having spent time in: Bordeaux, Burgundy, Champagne, Loire, Germany, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Holland, Red Sea, Bulgaria, South Africa, Nepal, Thailand, Philippines, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, America, Russia, Galapagos, Ecuador and Peru.

She is also a rescue diver and has worked in the Philippines doing conservation diving to create two marine sanctuaries and to educate local fishermen on sustainable fishing practices.

 Simon Zhou, Ruby Red Fine Wine

Simon was born in Shanghai, China, and moved to New Zealand in 1990. A few years later, while studying for an electrical engineering degree at Canterbury University, Simon worked part time as a wine waiter in a prestigious Christchurch restaurant. It was here that he discovered his enthusiasm and love of wine. Over the next ten years, Simon worked in various parts of the world doing vineyard work, wine making, wine marketing, retail, importing, wine education and wine judging.

In 2004, Simon founded Ruby Red Fine Wine in Auckland, with a focus on importing Spanish wines. Following on from the success of Ruby Red Fine Wine New Zealand Ltd, he saw an opportunity to expand the operation into the growing Chinese market.

Shanghai, with its curious population, was chosen as the base for Ruby Red Fine Wine China. The operation grew from two staff in  2005 to 30+ by 2010, with the company experiencing annual growth over the last five years averaging at 50 to 80 per cent.

 Michael Walton, Nielsen Liquor Services Pacific

Michael has worked in the liquor industry for twenty six years. The first sixteen of those was spent in various retail roles including Marketing Director for a national group of independently operated retail stores.

Since 2000, Michael has worked with the Nielsen Company, setting up and managing a team of analysts and researchers that work exclusively for the liquor industry. This team draws on the expertise of the Nielsen Company’s vast global footprint and combines it with local experience and trade intelligence.

Over the past year, Michael has been based in Sydney and has worked with the Nielsen Liquor Services Team to launch three high-end services to the region. The first is a full ‘return on investment’ consultancy service. The second is an online virtual liquor store research tool that is now being exported from Australia to the world – which provides instant feedback on a store’s layout, brand blocking and packaging, as well as promotional tactics. And finally he has helped to develop neuro-research technology that measures consumers subconscious responses to brands and advertising. Today, this team is regarded as one of the centres of excellence for the global business. 

Michael has worked across a vast numbers of industries, retailers and suppliers both in Australia and New Zealand. He is a highly regarded and sought after speaker on what consumers are doing, watching and buying.

 John Ballingall, NZIER

John worked for NZIER between 2001 and 2005 and returned as Deputy Chief Executive in November 2008. In his position, John has provided economic analysis and policy advice on a broad range of issues for public and private sector clients. He has experience in areas including: computable general equilibrium modeling, data analysis, trade policy, economic impact studies, sustainability and transport.

From 2005 to 2008, John was the Deputy Director of the Economic Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT). In this role he provided analytical support for MFAT’s trade negotiators, estimating the costs and benefits of various trade agreements, advising businesses on food miles and sustainability, and liaising with the OECD Secretariat.

 Jason Yank, Astrolabe Wines

Jason, currently General Manager at Astroblabe Wines in Marlborough, was born in the United Kingdom and schooled in London before moving to Amsterdam to study. He completed a European Business Administration (BA Hons), with a double major in Marketing Communication and Design, and Human Resource Management.

During his career, Jason has worked in a variety of roles, from retail manager at Marks & Spencer to corporate head-hunting at Investment Bank IT. Prior to his current appointment, he was the Business Development Manager for Ormond Nurseries Group.

The Board at Astrolabe have been impressed by Jason’s experience, ambition and energy, and have found him to be perfectly suited to consolidate Astrolabe’s premium brand position.

 Bob Campbell, Independent Wine Specialist

Bob is the second New Zealander and one of only 280 people in the world to hold the Master of Wine qualification.

On top of contributing to wine publications in seven countries, Bob is wine editor of Your Home & Garden, Taste magazine and Air New Zealand’s in-flight magazine Kiaora, as well as the New Zealand editor for Gourmet Traveller Wine.

More than 21,000 people have attended Bob’s wine diploma courses in New Zealand, Asia and Europe. He has been a senior judge in wine competitions in Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, England, Belgium, Slovenia, South Africa and France.

 Nigel Greening, Felton Road

A grammar school education was followed by a term at college, before Nigel left to follow the more attractive route of blues guitarist. A lack of success led to an early career in printing, before starting a design company in the early 70s. After a time spent in special effects, Nigel went on to establish Park Avenue in 1979, which is now one of the world’s leading presentations and production companies.

Over the following 20 years, Nigel divided his time between international brand marketing for clients such as BMW, Porsche and British Airways, directing film projects with effects and engineering, expo pavilions and global car launches.

While working for BMW in Central Otago between 1998 to 1999, Nigel acquired a taste for the newly released first vintage of Felton Road (1997). He then purchased his own vineyard at Cornish Point in Bannockburn and purchased Felton Road in 2000 following the retirement of founder Stuart Elms.

Married with three children, Nigel lives part of the year in Dartmouth, Devon in the UK, and for the most part in Wanaka, New Zealand.

John Loughlin

John Loughlin is the chairman of ZESPRI Group Limited and Tru-Test Corporation Limited. John is a Director of Metlifecare Limited, Port of Napier Limited, Kermadec Property Fund Limited, Taupo Motorsport Park Limited, and Centralines Limited. He is a former Issuer Appointee to NZ Markets Disciplinary Tribunal. John and his wife have developed a vineyard and the award-winning Askerne winery business in Hawke's Bay.

Jim Robertson 

Industry veteran Jim Robertson has been part of New Zealand’s wine explosion onto the world stage and has been in key positions to affect the country’s wine growth since 1992. Jim is involved in a number of industry groups including New Zealand Winegrowers Global Marketing Committee which develops in-market programs for global markets.

John Perriam 

John Perriam farms Bendigo Station and Chaired Merino NZ throughout its formative years until 2001. He gained national and international media attention with his hermit shaggy Merino Shrek, who he has now turned into a New Zealand charity icon. In 1993 John established an international vertically integrated wool growing partnership. John received a Queen’s Honour in 2001 when he was appointed a Member New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to the wool industry. More recently he has established one of Central Otago’s leading winegrowing sub regions at Bendigo, and has become a mentor for the Ice House aimed at growing small and medium size businesses in New Zealand.

 Judy Finn 

Planted Neudorf Vineyards in 1978. Served on boards of Pinot Noir 2007 and Pinot Noir 2010. Involved in NZ and Nelson wine marketing including US High End Initiative.