Our people

Hugh Martyn, Chairman

Hugh is an experienced professional Director having started his career as a solicitor before moving into corporate management roles. He has had substantial experience in senior management roles across a number of major companies including as Chief Executive of PGG, Chief Operating Office of PGG Wrightson, Managing Director of Australasia Invacare Corporation Ltd as well as a number of other senior appointments. His past governance positions included Chairman of City Care Limited, having been a Director since 2005, a Director of the New Zealand Merino Company Limited and a Trustee of St Margaret’s College. In addition to a Law degree, he holds a Master of Business Administration from Canterbury University.

Martin Ashby, Director B.Com (Ag) Valuation & Farm Management

Martin operates a 415ha dairy and dairy support unit at Fernside with his wife Jo and three children. He also has involvement in a dairy conversion consultancy company. Being a shareholder from the inception of the scheme he has witnessed first-hand the effect the scheme has had on both the land and the economy in the Waimakariri District. Martin is particularly interested in the storage project and the Land and Water Forum.

He is actively involved in a range of community activities including being coach of the RHS 1st XV rugby team.

Albert Brantley, Director

Trained as an engineer and geologist, over the past 40 years Albert has lead the construction and operation of large scale oil and gas, mining and utility assets throughout the world. Until August 2018 he was the Chief Executive of Ōtākaro Limited, the Crown Company responsible for the Anchor Project programme for central Christchurch, and was the Chief Executive of Genesis Energy for 8 years before that.

A Canadian, Albert is married to a New Zealander and has been a resident of Canterbury for more than 30 years, although working overseas for much of that time. He lives with his wife, daughter and a few cattle on a lifestyle block near Ohoka.

Most of Albert’s experience has involved significant senior level political, regulatory and environmental management, as well as multicultural community and stakeholder relations management.

Albert has provided Board level governance for the past 25 years, and is presently an Independent Director of Ballance Agri-Nutrients, Chairman of the HW Richardson Group, Chairman of FarmRight, a Director of the LGNZ Independent Assessment Board and Chairman of the St Margaret’s College Trust Board.

Victoria Trayner, Director, BFA, DipT&L, B.com(Ag), DipM.A.N.H.D

Victoria has a sound understanding of the primary sector and continues to grow her knowledge through her own business milking 600 cows in Oxford and lecturing in agribusiness and production management. In her tutoring she works closely with farmers to make sustainable improvements to their businesses in the day-to-day running and strategic planning. She works closely with industry representatives establishing national trends and benchmarking.

Victoria’s built up a strong foundation of governance skills working with all generations, cultures on a variety of the large-scale projects; she is a member of the Waimakariri Next Generation Farmers Group (NGF), Oxford A&P Association, and the Balmoral Society.

Victoria has been on many educational boards while teaching at Christchurch Boys High School, Chairman and Sectary for the Waimakariri Young Farmers Club, organized three Regional Young Farmers Contests and introduced TeenAg into secondary schools. Victoria led the Christchurch Earthquake Art Auction Fundraiser for the rebuild. Victoria has a passion to look after the future of farming in the Waimakariri District.

Tim Wells, Director B Com (Ag) PGCert Lincoln University

Tim is from a farming family near Oxford that has been irrigating since the 1960’s. While remaining actively involved in his family dairy farming business he has pursued a career in financial services.

Tim is currently employed by ANZ as a relationship manager for agribusiness clients in the Canterbury region and was previously employed by ASB Bank in a role focused on corporate agricultural clients and financing irrigation schemes. Tim spent over five years living abroad in London and Melbourne where he was employed by Standard & Poor’s . Tim has been an active member of the Oxford community playing both rugby and cricket for the local clubs and has represented North Canterbury at rugby.

Brent Walton, CEO, BBS Economics and Management

Brent joined Waimakariri Irrigation Limited in 2011 after leaving his position as GM at Plains Irrigators Ltd. Prior to entering the irrigation industry he held the General Manager roles at Cardrona Ski Resort and Treble Cone, and Operation and Project Manager roles at Whakapapa ski area.

He grew up on a family hill country farm in the back of Wanganui and recently owned and operated a cherry orchard in Central Otago.

Jamie Hamilton, Operations Manager - Dip Marketing, Dip Farm Management, PEPM11 Project Management, NZS3910:2003 NZ Construction

Jamie joined WIL in 2015. Before joining the team Jamie spent 10 years as a Construction Manager for Water Infrastructure Group managing large scale design and build civil construction projects throughout the South Island. Most recently he was managing an $85 Million civil construction project in Mid-Canterbury. Prior to this Jamie spent 7 years as an Irrigation Sales and Design Engineer and in management positions on several large scale sheep and beef farming properties in New Zealand and overseas.

Having grown up on a high-country station in Marlborough Jamie has current investment interests in a high-country station and this makes him appreciate the value of water. “The Marlborough high country has hot dry summers with cold dry winters and is a unique environment that tests your skills as a farmer on a daily basis. This is why I chose Irrigation, Civil Construction and Farming as career paths. This experience gives me a good understanding of what is required to be a successful and sustainable primary producer.”