Rural Valuation strengthens the viticulture team in Marlborough
Jack has been with our Rural Valuations team since graduating from Lincoln University in 2015, working closely with Greg Petersen to achieve his registration in 2018 and continuing to develop his skill set and knowledge within the dairy sector. Being a high-power user of all sorts of applications, he is also instrumental in developing our modelling and database tools. He is always a welcome addition to every assignment.
At the start of 2021 Jack relocated to Blenheim. But his move was, in a way, a few years in the making.
On top of being a very capable rural valuer, Jack is also a talented rugby player. In 2019 we temporarily lost him to the sport when he took a sabbatical to play professionally in Krasnodar, Russia. After his contract finished, he decided to come closer to home and continued playing rugby in Sydney, Australia.
The silver lining in the Covid pandemic for the rural valuations team was Jack returning to New Zealand in April 2020 to work full time in our Christchurch office.
“Working in a business that fosters strong relationships and is very supportive has many advantages. I was able to pursue my rugby dream, without losing my connection to the Colliers team and the profession, which is a luxury not many have. I had the best of both worlds.”
While 2020 was a disruptive year on many levels Jack sought opportunities to expand his areas of expertise.
Jack had a few options within the business and he chose to join Tim Gifford, a Director and senior valuer, in Blenheim.
Tim Gifford is pleased to welcome Jack to Blenheim, “It is great to have him in the office. The workload here is growing and with him on board now we are very well placed to pursue all the opportunities that exist here for our business. Jack’s move is part of a wider process of building our capacity and capability in the regions, which is really exciting from a business development point of view.”
Although he couldn’t get Jack to move to Tauranga, Chris Boyd, Executive Director of the Rural & Agribusiness Valuation team, is also supportive, “Jack has always had a very inquisitive mind with a remarkable work ethic, and we are pleased that he is back with the team and seeking new challenges. We have always aimed to be a business that offers opportunities for our people and create an exciting place to work. It is great to see that our efforts are paying off and we are able to attract and retain the high performers in the profession.”
Why Blenheim?, we asked Jack.
“I have worked a lot with Tim over the years, he is very a well-regarded valuer in Marlborough and across the wider viticulture sector. Expanding my knowledge into viticulture was always on the cards and he is the best person to learn from. The timing of the opportunity was also ideal for my partner and I, as we were looking to make a change from city life.
"In our spare time we enjoy getting outdoors, so the move to Blenheim has been fantastic, with so many community sports to get involved in, plus being on the doorstep to the Marlborough Sounds, there are plenty of new adventures to be had over the coming months."
What would you like to achieve professionally in the next few years?
"At the moment, I'm getting up to speed with the Marlborough viticulture market, being based in the heart of the largest wine-producing region. So, to establish myself as a reputable viticulture valuer across the region is the goal.
"I still cover a lot of dairy work out of Christchurch, which has been my bread and butter for the past few years. I intend to stay very involved within the sector while continuing to develop my understanding of the Marlborough market.
"In addition to my valuation work, I am also working on a kiwifruit modelling project with Chris Boyd in Tauranga. Again, it is an industry that I am learning, but it is an opportunity to get involved in the North Island horticultural market during very exciting times. Kiwifruit has become a star performer over recent years on so many levels, so it is great being involved from an analytical perspective.
"Next door in Nelson, we have a strong forestry team, where we have leading experts that I can learn a lot from and am looking forward to supporting them.
"Working within such a dynamic company that encourages and supports personal and professional growth has enabled me to follow my passion for both sport and rural valuation simultaneously, while developing my knowledge and expertise in many areas across New Zealand.
"There is no shortage of opportunities to keep work fresh and interesting and the future looks promising.”
Find out more about our Rural Valuations service here or get in touch with Chris Boyd.