Pāmu Chief Executive Mark Leslie has named Tammy Auranen as Pāmu’s first Chief Technology and Digital Officer.
“I am delighted to welcome Tammy to Pāmu. She brings an impressive skillset and depth of experience to our senior leadership team that will further strengthen our performance in an area crucial to the future of farming.”
Ms Auranen, who will join Pāmu early next year, has more than 20 years of experience in senior digital, technology and improvement-based roles across a wide range of industries in New Zealand and her native Canada. She is currently General Manager, Customer Solutions at NZ Post and before that managed IT and systems functions for Northpower, the Far North District Council, CityFitness Group, Ricoh Canada, Sun-Rype Products and GoodLife Fitness Clubs.
Mr Leslie said the new role of Chief Technology and Digital Officer recognizes Pāmu’s commitment to ensuring it remains at the forefront of technology and innovation.
“Farmers and growers can benefit hugely from digital technologies and from data availability for better decision making on-farm, regulatory compliance with the likes of greenhouse gases reporting, and providing information consumers are seeking on the food they consume. While Pāmu has embraced technology and is at the forefront of digital adoption and innovation, challenges and opportunities in this area are ongoing, with important decisions being made about which technologies to adopt, when and how.”
Ms Auranen said she was looking forward to joining Pāmu.
“I am excited to build on Pāmu’s current digital technology and data capabilities and accelerate the changes required to make capturing information once and using it for multiple purposes seamlessly a reality. Targeting an improved farmer experience enabled by data sharing with key partners will continue to drive innovation in Pāmu and the agricultural sector.”
Ms Auranen graduated from Fanshawe College, London, Ontario in computer programming and analysis, and has completed professional development courses in energy economics, management accounting and finance, business analysis and project management at several New Zealand and Canadian tertiary education providers.
She has also been an independent director of Entelechy Group, comprising Northland-based tertiary education provider Developers Institute and software development firm Parasol.
Pāmu (the brand name for Landcorp Farming) is New Zealand’s largest farmer with a nationwide portfolio of 116 farms covering 360,000 hectares that produce milk, beef, lamb, wool, venison and more.