Meet Our Advisory Board

Marijke Dunselman

Founder & CE Agritourism.nz | Chair Education Committee of Global Agritourism Network

Marijke Dunselman is one of New Zealand's leading tourism business & marketing consultants and trainers and has run her own consultancy and training business for over 23 years. She has worked with hundreds of tourism businesses over the years and has set up several tourism marketing networks. 
​Having worked with many farmers over the years in developing their agritourism business,  she set up Agritourism NZ in 2019 bringing together tourism and agriculture.
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Prior to setting up Strategies Marketing Consultancy, she worked as a Marketing Consultant and as Manager of Tourism Southland, a regional tourism organisation (RTO).

Other work experience includes working for several corporates internationally, including Heineken, Randstad, KLM (Dutch airline) and in market research and in education.

Her qualifications include:
- MEntr (Master of Entrepreneurship)
- Bachelor of Business degree (International Marketing)
- Diploma of Teaching (Secondary School -  French & Economics).

Marijke has a passion for training and has developed and presented  training programmes throughout New Zealand over the past 22 years. She is an approved trainer and consultant for MBIE. 

Marijke grew up in the Netherlands, France and the USA and speaks four languages. She emigrated to New Zealand in 1994 and loves living here.

Martin Hawes

Advisory Board member & Financial Expert

Martin Hawes  is a well-known financial advisor, author and TV & radio commentator.

Martin has spent most of his career working in business and personal finance. 

He has worked with many farmers over many years helping with both their financial affairs and succession plans. Martin is an Authorised Financial Adviser and the author of over 20 best-selling books including one on Family Trusts.

​Martin sits on a number of Boards and now lives in Christchurch.​

Martin's current positions are:

• Chair, Summer KiwiSaver Investment Committee
• Director, Lifetime Income
• Board member, New Zealand Shareholders Association
• Authorised Financial Adviser

www.martinhawes.com

Janene Divers

Advisory Board Member & Agritourism Operator

Janene Divers and her husband Dave run a successful agritourism business on their large sheep and beef farm in South Otago.

They built Cascade Creek Retreat, a beautiful off-grid 5-Star Qualmark Gold accommodation business in a stunning location on their farm located near Milton.  
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Janene joins the Agritourism Advisory Board with a wealth of experience in the travel and tourism Industry. Her tourism career began working for a highly regarded tourism company in Europe and the UK, before returning home to NZ to continue her passion in the industry.

​She has earned several awards throughout her career such as the top new consultant in travel in NZ.  Janene decided to utilize her experience and put her passion into creating her own business, Cascade Creek Retreat. 

Janene and Daveca have three adventurous young children who love getting amongst the outdoors as much as their parents do!

​Janene thoroughly enjoys being able to ‘marry’ her passion for the travel and tourism industry while being based on a farm; a perfect combination that is ‘Agritourism’.

​ww.cascadecreekretreat.co.nz 

Amie Young

Advisory Board Member & Destination Development Manager​

​Amie Young is the Destination Development Manager at Great South, the Regional Development Agency for Southland. Amie’s role is largely focused on implementation of the Southland Murihiku Destination Management Strategy, developed as a blueprint for the sustainable development of the tourism industry within Southland from 2019 to 2029. 

Agri-tourism is a key priority for tourism in Southland, the region has the most century farms in the country, is home to some of the largest stations and agriculture itself is the region’s largest industry.

Amie is working to create an online platform for agritourism in the region, and to develop connections between operators in Southland. 
She has spent the last 16 years working in product and brand management across a variety of industries before returning to Southland to join Great South 4 years ago.

Originally from Invercargill, she spent many weekends on the family farm growing up and is a passionate advocate for the region. 
Amie is a Business Mentor with Business Mentors NZ and has a Bachelor of Commerce in Marketing Management and a Bachelor of Arts in Design and Art History. 

www.greatsouth.nz

Kirstie MacMillan

Advisory Board Member & Director Farm to Farm Tours​

​Kirstie is a co-owner of North Canterbury based Farm To Farm Tours. For more than 30 years, Farm To Farm has created travel experiences within New Zealand and across the globe for farmers and others with a rural focus.  

Kirstie relishes any chance to showcase rural New Zealand and better connect people with where their food, wine and fibre comes from.  

Kirstie has travelled extensively overseas, including leading farming tours all over the world. This has contributed to her hands-on experience in the global agri tourism sector.  Kirstie is also a former executive board member of Agricultural Tour Operators International which is a global partnership of specialist agricultural tour businesses around the world. 

Prior to joining her father Ross in the business, Kirstie practised law. Her passion for Farm To Farm's niche travel, however, was a catalyst for a career change and she hasn't looked back.

www.farmtofarm.co.nz/