Staff Profile - Fiona Calvert

Date: 4 May 2020
Author: Hill Laboratories

“I joined Hill Laboratories eighteen years ago in 2002 as an Agricultural Client Services Manager (CSM), after working at AgResearch,Ruakura for nearly 20 years. In the CSM role I had key account management responsibility for a number of our larger customers including Ballance Agri-Nutrients. I then became an Agricultural CSM Team Leader before moving into my current role as Market Sector Manager - Agriculture in 2016. My current role is all about strategic direction and leadership, and I am part of our Commercial Leadership Team. This role also includes being heavily involved with our project teams across information and analytical technology. Thankfully I am still able to engage with a lot of our customers; my favourite aspect of the role.

I have been very passionate about New Zealand agriculture my whole life, having grown up on a small dairy farm in coastal Bay of Plenty. I particularly enjoy Hill Laboratories’ involvement in the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, and the outstanding farmers I get to meet at the award events. One of Hill Laboratories’ missions is to support sustainable farming and help our customers conserve the environment. I thrive off driving this discussion with our customers and educating them on how our testing can help optimise farming productivity and minimise environmental impacts.

The culture and values at Hill Laboratories make it a really unique place to work. It has retained the family company vibe even after it’s extensive growth as a business. I particularly enjoy the honesty and integrity that is demonstrated every day, as these values are dear to my heart. I get immense satisfaction from the ability of our laboratory to deliver a first-class service to our customers so they can improve and grow their businesses, and I'm very proud that we are 100% New Zealand-owned and operated.

Outside of work, I enjoy going with my partner Jon (who I met at Hill Laboratories) and our daughter Zoe to watch the Chiefs run riot at Waikato’s FMG stadium. Brunch with my older daughter Natalie and the occasional game of tennis are also my weekend treats. However, since the COVID-19 lockdown I have turned to reading, scrabble and Wasgij puzzles. All with a glass of wine of course!”

- Fiona Calvert (Agricultural Market Sector Manager)