Our Instep Young Leaders recently had the opportunity to go behind the scenes at Seeka, one of New Zealand’s largest horticultural companies. The visit offered a look at how innovation, sustainability, and people come together to shape a thriving industry that feeds both New Zealand and the world.

Seeka manages over 2,000 hectares of orchards and produces around 19 million trays of kiwifruit every year, about 10% of the country’s total production. Their post-harvest division packs roughly a quarter of all kiwifruit grown in New Zealand, reflecting the scale and impact of their operations across the Bay of Plenty and beyond.

Led by General Manager of New Business and Marketing, Jim Smith, the session began with an overview of Seeka’s growth and purpose. Jim explained how horticulture is not only a key export earner for New Zealand, generating $6.1 billion in export revenue, but also a source of long-term security for landowners and communities. He encouraged students to see horticulture as a modern, multi-dimensional industry full of opportunity, from business and logistics to innovation and sustainability.

Students then rotated through three hands-on tours, the packhouse, orchard, and worm farm, led by Seeka’s team. At each stop, they heard real career stories from people who started on the ground and worked their way up through the company.

Regional orchard manager Levi Ryland shared his journey from cadet to leadership, demonstrating the company’s commitment to nurturing future talent through its three-year cadetship programme. Alongside Levi, Brandon Cross from Ngāi Tukairangi Trust and senior orchard manager Josh Collier spoke about the importance of empathy, teamwork, and responsibility when managing growers’ livelihoods. Their passion made it clear that leadership at Seeka is about people first.

The group also met post-harvest regional manager Michelle Bennett, who spoke candidly about her 15-year career journey. Having started as a packhouse worker, she rose through the ranks in what was once a male-dominated space. Michelle credited her background in health and fitness and the support of mentors for helping her develop a leadership style centred on wellbeing and empowerment.

In the marketing and communications space, Rhian Ecclestone shared how Seeka uses storytelling to connect people to the products they grow, pack, and ship around the world. With a small but dynamic team, her focus is on building brand understanding through authenticity, helping staff across every level see the bigger picture and take pride in what they produce.

Throughout the visit, Seeka’s message was clear: horticulture is a sector built on people, purpose, and progress. Whether through waste recovery initiatives that turn by-products into consumer goods like Kiwi Crush and avocado oil, or community engagement programmes across New Zealand and the Pacific, Seeka’s focus on sustainability and inclusion is shaping a new kind of horticultural future.

For the Instep Young Leaders, the experience brought learning to life and opened new ways of thinking about leadership, innovation, and the potential of regional industries. As one student reflected, “It showed how many different career paths can exist in one company, and how far you can go when you start from the ground up.”

Visits like this also highlight the value of connection between business and young people. When companies open their doors and share their stories, they help future talent see the depth of innovation and opportunity that exists here in the Bay of Plenty. These experiences not only broaden students’ perspectives but also strengthen the region’s future workforce by inspiring the next generation of thinkers, doers, and leaders.