Australian-born Angela graduated from Orange Agricultural College and Sydney University in 2001 with a degree in farm management. She started with Altum in 2004 as sales support in Taranaki.
‘I ended up covering the maternity leave for the Taranaki manager, looking after the whole region.’ She relocated to Southland and Otago in December 2008 to manage Altum's operations there and in September 2010 moved to Canterbury to become the sales manager for the Upper South Island.
‘When I get the chance I turn my attention to showing horses. In 2010 I was sixth placed senior rider at the Horse of the Year Show.’
It’s a big change from the Rhine/Ruhr industrial area where Mirka grew up, but she has taken to farming with a passion. A three-time German wild water kayaking racing champion, Mirka fell in love with a Kiwi dairy farmer and later bought a one-way ticket to Christchurch to get married.
She studied environmental science at Canterbury University, moved with her husband to Golden Bay, and joined Altum in 2004.
‘We have a 1800-cow dairy farming business and two children. In my spare time I love tramping, kayaking and travelling, and I drag my family with me whenever I can.’
Raised on an orchard in Hawke’s Bay, Rowan was well educated even before studying forestry science at Canterbury University.
He joined Elders after working in labour contracting to horticulture, viticulture and agriculture in Canterbury, Marlborough and Otago, switching to Altum in early 2010.
'I am keen on hunting and fishing in the Southern Alps and I hope to be able to travel the world and hunt. It’s great getting out and meeting a lot of different people in various farming systems and being able to customise a complete nutrient programme specific for them.'
Originally from Chile, Constanza grew up spending holidays at her grandfather’s beef farm. After studying agriculture in Chile she has continued with a Master’s programme working with grasses.
'New Zealand is well known in Chile for first-class farming practices, so I decided to seek new career challenges in New Zealand. When I first moved here I worked on dairy farms in Waikato and Canterbury.'
Constanza is now part of the Altum team and is on the way to becoming a Sales Consultant. In her free time, she favours running and mountaineering.
Agriculture has always been a part of Rebecca’s life. She grew up on a hill country sheep and beef farm and graduated from Lincoln University with a B Com Ag.
‘After a three-month stint as a cook on a cattle property in Northern Queenland, I headed to the UK. I wanted to stay away from the farming sector and ended up doing care work with the elderly.’
Rebecca started with Altum at the end of 2007. ‘Away from work I enjoy hunting during the winter months and my partner and I lease 90 ha on which we run sheep.’
