Chris Hawley has held the Chair of Latin America New Zealand Business Council (LANZBC) since 2007.
From his position as Director of AUT University’s International Relations and Development office Chris has been working on Behalf of AUT University in Latin America, particularly Chile and Mexico.

Chris has an extensive network of connections from diverse backgrounds in education, business and government and brings these connections and enthusiasm for international relations to the Latin America New Zealand Business Council

Barry has extensive experience in agribusiness both in New Zealand and internationally.

His experience includes leadership of New Zealand’s largest nationwide agribusiness, PGG Wrightson with turnover of $1.2 billion and 3000 staff.

He led the mergers of Wrightson with Williams and Kettle and Pyne Gould Guinness in the period 2004 to 2006.

He was responsible for the establishment of New Zealand’s largest primary sector business investments in South America, mainly in Uruguay but also in Argentina and Brazil. These included the launch of New Zealand Farming Systems Uruguay and its listing on the NZX50; and acquisition of a number of businesses in the seed, livestock, real estate, rural supplies and irrigation sectors.

Barry is qualified in agricultural commerce and economics and is currently operating as an independent agribusiness consultant.

Lloyd assists a group of corporate companies in the upper North Island with their international trading requirements.

Lloyd has extensive knowledge of trade finance having been with ANZ for 25 years in trade and customer roles.

Lloyd is passionate about New Zealand being a successful trading nation. He is a past Vice President and past President of Export New Zealand, he is actively involved in promoting New Zealand exporters in order to enhance the country’s ability to earn foreign exchange and raise overall standards of living.

Lloyd is also a mentor with Business Mentors New Zealand, which assists small to medium companies expand their businesses into international markets.

John is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Institute of Environmental Science and Research (ESR), a position he has held since January 2000.

Prior to ESR he held positions within AgResearch’s Grasslands Division, and in the late 1990s was General Manager, Plant Improvement.

In 2006 he was awarded the New Zealand Royal Society’s Thomson Medal for outstanding and inspirational leadership in the management of science.

Sheryl is the Sales & Marketing Director for Kaplan Aspect Australia & NZ, now based in Sydney since February 2008.
She has worked in International Education since 1997, and prior to that she lived in Germany & Japan. With her current role, she travels periodically to Latin America and is working to help build business links for education predominantly in the Brasilian, Chilean, Argentinian & Colombian markets.
She has been a LANZBC committee member since 2005 and can be contacted by email on: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Lloyd Kavanagh is a partner in law firm Minter Ellison Rudd Watts. He is also a member of The Advisory Board of Transfield Services (NZ) Ltd which has established a JV providing operating and maintenance services to the mining industry in northern Chile. He has also been a senior executive at Fonterra Co-op Group Ltd, in a number of roles including Chairman of Soprole SA, a Chilean public company, and leading M&A transactions in Mexico and Argentina. Lloyd graduated LLB from University of Otago, and AMP from The Wharton Business School of University of Pennsylvania.

Dr Michael Lay-Yee is General Manager International Market Development for Plant and Food Research (PFR) – a New Zealand-based, commercially focused, plant and food science company with personnel in Australia, USA and Europe. Michael is responsible for PFR’s international market development, growing global business and building key strategic international commercial and science collaborations. He has carried out work in a range of territories including New Zealand, Australia, Asia, Europe, the US, Latin America, South Africa and Pacific Island countries. Michael's career has spanned research, management of science, business development and commercialisation. His qualifications include a B Hort Sc (Hons) from Massey University, New Zealand; a PhD from University of California Davis (USA); and an MBA from Otago University, New Zealand.

Manning Group Limited specializes in developing New Zealand export markets in Latin America for New Zealand products and technologies.

Manning Group’s current projects encompass the expansion into Mexico and Argentina of internet-based information technologies developed in New Zealand for the tourism sector.

Since 1987 Manning Group has successfully worked in a wide variety of sectors (principally in Mexico & Argentina but also in Peru, Chile and Uruguay) including Adventure Tourism (Shotover Jet Limited & A.J.Hackett Bungy Limited), Animal Health (MAFTECH), ESL Education (CITEC), Dairy Management (MAF Flock House Bulls), Post-graduate Education (Massey University), Food Processing (Watties Industries Limited), Trade & Product Promotions (Weddel Crown Corporation & NZ Meat Board), Construction (Puerto Vallarta Partnership) and Importing (Café Vallarta Partnership & Mexicorp Limited).

In addition to the activities in Latin America Manning Group Limited has also successfully owned and managed a number of New Zealand-based enterprises in hotel management, property development & investment and latterly, feature film production.

Alex Worker

Fonterra Cooperative Group Ltd

David Taylor is Director of Americas Division in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. He was previously Director of Asia Division and before that was New Zealand’s Ambassador to South Korea (2002-06), with accreditation to the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. He has been New Zealand's chief negotiator for climate change and a range of other environment issues and has also had diplomatic assignments in Kuala Lumpur, Washington DC and Suva. He has degrees in law and history.