The transtasman business award recognises outstanding up-and-coming agri-industry talent.
Ms Scott, the executive director of Landpro — a company which provides aerial surveying, resource management and environmental and technical services for farmers and growers across New Zealand — was presented with the award in front of 1600 farmers and agri-industry stakeholders from New Zealand and Australia at the Rabobank Farm2Fork Summit in Sydney last week.
Presenting the award, Rabobank New Zealand chief executive officer Todd Charteris said Ms Scott had been hugely influential in the success and growth of Landpro, which she jointly established in 2007.
"From an initial staff of one, the organisation now employs more than 75 staff nationwide working across a wide array of New Zealand’s agricultural sectors," Mr Charteris said.
"Kate has significant knowledge and expertise in the areas of strategic environmental planning, including resource consents, project management, community and iwi consultation. And this wide skill set has played a key role the company’s rise over the last 16 years."
Ms Scott is also the chairwoman of the New Zealand Rural Leadership Trust (which runs the Nuffield farming scholarships, the Kellogg rural leadership programme and the value chain innovation programme).
"Kate’s involvement with the rural leadership trust spans a number of years, having been awarded a Nuffield farming scholarship herself in 2017," Mr Charteris said.
"As part of her scholarship, she travelled to the Netherlands in 2018 for a global farming conference, followed by an eight-week tour of six other countries, looking at different farming systems and technologies. And later that year, she visited another six countries looking at environmental policies and new technologies that could be used in New Zealand.
"With her Nuffield scholarship, Kate explored ways to enable better environmental outcomes in agriculture, including ways for New Zealand to reduce its agri-enviro footprint and to benchmark its environmental performance against other major agricultural nations."
Ms Scott was appointed chairwoman of the rural leadership trust board in late 2021.
She is also a member of the New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management and the Institute of Directors (IOD).
"Kate lives on a small vineyard in Bannockburn with her husband and their three sons, and is also involved in a number of local organisations, including holding the role of deputy chair of Thriving Southland and Wai Wanaka.
"Her vast experience has enabled her to be a valued contributor to New Zealand’s primary industries and the environment through her very successful business, and other industry roles.
"Kate is playing a major role in the future of New Zealand agriculture and she’s undoubtedly a very worthy winner of our Emerging Leader award," Mr Charteris said.
— Staff reporter
