Our People

Glenn Rowlinson is the Ballance Nutrient Specialist for the Tauranga / Rotorua region.

Glenn grew up on a family farm in Ngakuru where he is still a fourth generation farmer in the area. After leaving school he worked on the farm until he decided to follow a career in rural sales. This led him to a role selling Honda motorcycles and then eventually onto a Technical Sales Position for Farm Source in the Rotorua region, before joining Ballance in January 2017.

In Glenns’ spare time he is Chairman of the Ngakuru School Board of trustees, and enjoys running their Beef and dairy grazing farm. Glenn enjoys going water-skiing during the summer months.

Andrew Rutherford is the Regional Sales Manager covering the Eastern region.

He spent his childhood on the family’s 225-hectare sheep and beef farm in the southern Hawke’s Bay. This, when combined with over 20 years working in the agriculture industry, has resulted in Andrew developing a broad knowledge of the sector.

He originally joined Ballance in March 2002 before moving into a Corporate Accounts Specialist role for the Central Plateau in 2008. In this role Andrew built strong relationships and enjoyed having a positive influence on his customers farming operations through providing quality advice. He has utilised these skills and his years of experience to move into a leadership role, where he can support and guide his team through their careers in agriculture.

Shaun Pulham joined Ballance in July 2006 as the Nutrient Specialist for the Western Bay of Plenty, and later transferred to the Te Awamutu East region. In January 2014 he was promoted into his current Key Accounts role.

He spent his childhood on the family 450-hectare sheep and beef farm on the southern side of Kawhia Harbour, and furthered this practical knowledge by working on dairy farms in the NZ-WAI region, and mixed cropping farms in Canterbury both before and during his studies. Shaun completed a Diploma in Farm Management and a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture) at Lincoln University.

During his time with Ballance Shaun has been involved with judging the Ballance Farm Environment Awards, and has attended a range of agricultural conferences. He credits these activities with both furthering his education, and keeping him up to date with the latest innovations.

Sam joined the Eastern team as Nutrient Specialist for Whakatane/Galatea in March 2025. She initially started with Ballance in October 2020 as part of the horticulture team after relocating to the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Since then, she has continued her career within Ballance, completing a stint with Super Air before returning to her current Nutrient Specialist role.

Sam is a strong networker and relationship builder and believes ultimately understanding her clients and providing them with the absolute best service and advice is crucial.

Outside of work you will find Sam running around after her two kids, playing squash or enjoying the local outdoors.

Grace is a Horticultural & Arable Specialist for the Bay of Plenty.

Graces comes from a kiwifruit orchardist family in Te Puke and started her journey with Ballance back in June 2023. She was responsible for helping smaller growers across the country as the Horticultural Outbound Sales Specialist, writing fertiliser plans and offering support over the phone.

In April 2024, Grace stepped up to focus on serving larger growers in the Bay of Plenty, taking on the role of Horticultural Specialist.

Grace studied a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Plant Biology at The University of Auckland, diving into the world of genetics and selective breeding for kiwifruit, avocados, and tomatoes. Later, she pursued an Honours degree in Green Chemistry, with a focus on sustainable hydrogen synthesis.

Driven by her family ties and her love for horticulture, she is passionate about supporting growers in reaching their goals while also promoting on-orchard sustainability. Grace finds joy in assisting others while sharing a laugh along the way.

Outside of work, Grace is a keen traveller and enjoys staying active at the gym and going out on walks.

Kevin is the Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist for the Central Plateau, stepping in to the role in August 2024.

Born into a family with its roots in farming, it was inevitable that Kevin would work in the agricultural sector. He has held a number of roles from milking assistant and working on dairy farms to rural earthmoving, sales representative for Hynds Pipe Systems and even a period as a Ballance Nutrient Specialist in the Rotorua area.

Kevin then took some time away from Ballance, splitting his time between working as an independent Farm Sustainability Advisor and managing the day-to-day operations of a family-based rural earthmoving contracting business. He returned to the Ballance fold in May 2019 with a secondment in our Key Accounts team and when that finished in early 2020, he moved in to a position with Farm Sustainability Services.

Through all of this, Kevin has developed a deep understanding of both the challenges the farming community faces, and the opportunities to build on what they are already doing. He brings a wealth of experience and a passion for farming and assisting NZ farmers to achieve their goals.

When he is not working, Kevin’s focus is on spending time with his family and friends. He is also a keen mountain biker who loves the local Rotorua trails but also enjoys traveling around the country exploring new places to ride.