FAR board chairman David Birkett says Stewart, currently general manager forest science at Scion, will bring with her a unique combination of skills.
“Alison is an internationally recognised scientist with specialist knowledge in the area of plant protection. She has a wealth of experience in managing research groups, programmes and institutions in New Zealand universities and CRIs, with research encompassing everything from cutting edge molecular technologies to product development and on-farm trials. As such, she has a strong understanding of the New Zealand science sector, particularly as it relates to primary industries,” says Birkett.
She has also worked in the commercial sector in New Zealand and the USA, successfully developing and commercialising several biologically based pest and disease management technologies for the agriculture, horticulture and nursery sectors, and sat on the boards of Plant & Food Research in New Zealand and The Waite Research Institute at the University of Adelaide.
Stewart is also familiar with FAR and its research, having been involved in several FAR funded research projects and a member of the independent External Programme Management Review panel which carried out a high-level overview of FAR’s activities and research in 2016.Stewart will take up the role in mid-March, replacing founding CEO Nick Pyke who has been with the organisation since it was formed in 1995.
