The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Scientist to take over leadership of AgResearch

Owen Hembry
By Owen Hembry
Online Business Editor·NZ Herald·
22 Jun, 2010 04:00 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Tom Richardson. Photo / Supplied

Tom Richardson. Photo / Supplied

Scientist Tom Richardson will swap crown research institutes to take the helm as chief executive of the biggest of the state-owned entities, AgResearch.

Richardson has been chief executive at forestry-focused crown research institute Scion for the past five years but will start at AgResearch in September.

Chairman Sam Robinson said
Richardson was selected after an international search.

"Over recent years the role and position of AgResearch in the pastoral sector has been re-established, and the board anticipates that as the new [chief executive], Dr Richardson will strengthen further this positioning for the benefit of New Zealand, the organisation itself and its key stakeholders."

AgResearch employs more than 1000 people, with a head office in Hamilton and work including three science groups of agriculture and environment, applied biotechnologies, and food and textiles.

"According to its annual report the state-owned researcher had revenue for the year ending June 2009 of $155.1 million," said Robinson.

"Our board was genuinely thrilled at the quality and calibre of the applicants for the [chief executive] position, which is a measure of the esteem in which AgResearch is held internationally."

Richardson is from the United States but has worked in science in New Zealand for 20 years, including 18 years at Scion.

AgResearch said Richardson's science background was in genetics and that he had established a genomics research group at Scion and spin-out company SignaGen.

Richardson was a science innovation sector leader and would bring strategic and commercial qualities that underpinned his success at Scion to his new position, Robinson said.

"The fact that he's a scientist and will be respected by scientists and thinks like a scientist and has good leadership and management skills, the discipline he has ... it's not enormously material but it's a nice co-incidence that it happens to be in something that we are very strong in as well," he said.

Richardson also held science-related directorships including the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, Future Forests Research and Science New Zealand.

He holds a bachelor of arts in biology from Bucknell University and a doctorate in botany from Pennsylvania State University.

TOM RICHARDSON

Chief executive, AgResearch

Age: 48

Born: United States

Family: Married with two sons.

Employment: Former chief executive Scion; 20 years working in New Zealand science.

Education: Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Bucknell University; doctorate in Botany from Pennsylvania State University.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

Premium
Opinion

Thomas Coughlan: Govt mulls dramatic local government reform, slashing councils

04 Jul 05:00 PM
The Country

‘Huge growth potential’: Willis on wool challenges during visit to NZ’s biggest scourer

04 Jul 05:00 PM
The Country

'Sassy' success: Climate-resilient apple's exports set to double

04 Jul 05:00 PM

There’s more to Hawai‘i than beaches and buffets – here’s how to see it differently

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Premium
Thomas Coughlan: Govt mulls dramatic local government reform, slashing councils

Thomas Coughlan: Govt mulls dramatic local government reform, slashing councils

04 Jul 05:00 PM

News of merging ministries was just the tip of the iceberg.

‘Huge growth potential’: Willis on wool challenges during visit to NZ’s biggest scourer

‘Huge growth potential’: Willis on wool challenges during visit to NZ’s biggest scourer

04 Jul 05:00 PM
'Sassy' success: Climate-resilient apple's exports set to double

'Sassy' success: Climate-resilient apple's exports set to double

04 Jul 05:00 PM
Premium
Ex-TV host Matt Chisholm's bold new career; 'Hugely unpopular' - battle royale brews inside Stuff

Ex-TV host Matt Chisholm's bold new career; 'Hugely unpopular' - battle royale brews inside Stuff

04 Jul 10:13 AM
From early mornings to easy living
sponsored

From early mornings to easy living

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP