Our Team

CEO
Steve Brown
Steve has had a career shaped by meaningful achievements in the primary sector. Steve joins us after being the CEO of Oceania Meat Processors, where he excelled in navigating challenging market conditions. Prior to this, Steve was National Sales Manager at ANZCO where he implemented ANZCO's NZ Sales and Marketing strategy and led the domestic sales team. Before ANZCO, Steve was in the building industry at Fletcher Building.

Finance Manager
Tiffany Cawte
My financial background has come from working in large accounting firms such as Deloitte and BDO and also small local firms in the Waikato. I have been Finance Manager in a large corporate dairy farm business and also worked in the banking industry for ASB Rural Corporate and Rabobank Major Agri.
My husband and I own a dairy farm in Leeston and I am a mother to three children. I enjoy getting out into the hills tramping, travelling, and keeping fit.

Territory Manager
Andrew Bendall
Breeding has been a major part of Andrew's background, with his family being foundation members of both the first sheep and cattle performance groups (The NZ Romney Development Group & Waigroup Angus both being established in 1967). Andrew and his wife Rhonda returned from the Falklands in July 2022 after two and a half years as a rural advisor for the Falkland Islands government leading the team at the Department of Agriculture.

Breeding Manager
Tara Dwyer
Tara lives and farms in Middlemarch, Otago, with her husband Angus and 2 young children. Tara manages Headwaters breeding program. Tara has an Ag.Science degree from Lincoln University and a background in both farming and rural services. Her drivers are to support our growers to be the best they can and focusing on solutions to the challenges that they face.

Territory Manager
Kelly Walsh
Kelly and his wife Kate have 3 children and live on a small farm just outside Timaru. Kelly has spent 16 years as a drafter for silver fern farms and joined the Headwaters team in October 2022. With a good understanding of the meat industry Kelly is looking forward to meeting all needs from the farmer through to processing and markets and keep building the Headwaters brand.

Territory Manager
Jen Affleck
Jen lives at Long Point in the Catlins with her husband Stu and two boys Blake and Luke, where they currently run 11,000 stock units of Headwaters sheep and Angus beef. Previously, Jen worked in the Animal Health sector as a Rural Veterinary Technician and Veterinary Nurse. Outside of Headwaters and the farm, Jen spends most weekends chasing the boys around NZ racing their motorbikes.

Marketing, Communication & Administration Coordinator
Olivia Ridgen
Olivia lives on her family farm in Southbridge. Since graduating, Olivia has spent time in precision ag with Vantage NZ, working on a cattle station in WA, driving harvesters for Heinz-Watties and travelling. With a degree in media communication and marketing, Olivia enjoys networking with farmers to create content that show cases the industry. Olivia loves the outdoors, sport and spending time in the Marlborough Sounds.

Summer Intern
Margeaux Harris
Margeaux is originally from a sheep and beef farm in Cheviot but did her schooling in Nelson. Coming from a farming background she has just completed a Bachelor of Agriculture at Lincoln University. Over her degree Margeaux has gained hands-on experience across various farm systems, including dairy, sheep and beef as well as stud work. Margeaux was chosen for our summer internship, where she will be working with farmers to gain accreditation under NZFAP+ as well as getting out on farm for weaning and progeny testing. Margeaux enjoys sports, hunting, and spending time with friends.