Our People

Mark Ter-Morshuizen joined Ballance in April 2011.

He is passionate about the rural sector and brings a wide range of farming experience, gained in both New Zealand and South African agricultural industries.

Having completed a Diploma in Agriculture, Mark managed both dairy farms and large sugar cane estates in his home country before moving with his family to New Zealand in 2005. In the following six years he worked in a variety of rural industries, including a dairy farm, a dairy genetics company, rural banking, and animal feeds.

Passionate about agriculture, Mark enjoys working with the varied farming systems in his region and building relationships with people involved in the industry.

Cambridge based Mark spends his spare time on his lifestyle block. He can also be found fishing and recently has got back into shooting.

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.

Rebecca is the Nutrient Specialist covering Eastern Southland / Balclutha.

Rebecca is a born and bred Southlander. Growing up in town, she now resides in Tokanui with her young family, and helps with a bit of farm work in the weekends.

She studied at Massey University before heading home to have her daughter, continuing her studies, and gaining a Diploma of Science and Technology whilst continuing towards her Bachelors.

Rebecca started her career at the freezing works, initially as a grader before working her way up to being leading hand of the slaughter board. She gained experience working for another fertiliser company before joining a great team at Ballance Agri-Nutrients.

In her spare time, Rebecca enjoys playing golf and netball, going fishing, hunting, tramping, and can manage the drafting gate.

David Salmon is the Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist for Putaruru/Arapuni.

After high school David worked on farms to fund an agricultural economics degree at Massey University. A post-graduate OE saw him explore Europe and the Middle East, before returning home. He worked on the commissioning of the Litchfield Cheese Factory, and then later moved on to manage a 400-cow dairy farm near Gordonton.

'I joined now Ballance over 10 years ago and love helping our farmers increase their profitability and environmental protection.'

In Feburary 2017, David completed the Te Araroa Cycle trail on his mountain bike, Cape Reinga to Bluff (3000km) in 18 days. Since then he has taken up Ultra Marathon running, embarking on a challenge invloving the New Zealand Great Walks, where he aimed to run each of the tracks in a day - completing the last of these runs in late 2021. He likes to run, cycle, swim and kayak and devotes time to his family, and the Shininglights Trust where he is a volunteer for the “Hope Project” initiatives.

Amy Tomsett is the Nutrient Specialist for the Whanganui/Lower Rangitikei. She has been with Ballance since March 2011, originally joining as a nutrient specialist in the King Country. After 8 years in the King County, she was a looking for a new challenge and the mix of Sheep & Beef, Dairy and arable was too much to resist, so made the move down to the mighty Whanganui/Rangitikei. Born and bred in Tauranga and raised on a sheep and beef farm in Hawkes Bay, she grew up helping her dad on the farm and that lead me into studying at Massey University completing a Diploma in Agriculture. In her weekend’s you will find her on a horse playing polocrosse in summer and out on the hunt field in winter exploring what rural communities have to offer.

Raised on an orchard in Hawke’s Bay, Rowan was well educated even before studying forestry science at Canterbury University.

He joined Elders after working in labour contracting to horticulture, viticulture and agriculture in Canterbury, Marlborough and Otago, switching to Ballance in early 2010.

'I am keen on hunting and fishing in the Southern Alps and I hope to be able to travel the world and hunt. It’s great getting out and meeting a lot of different people in various farming systems and being able to customise a complete nutrient programme specific for them.'

Noel was brought up on a small drystock farm near Umawera, his secondary schooling was at Okaihau College.

After a short stint working on a sheep and beef farm outside Masterton, he then headed to Massey University to complete a BAg. A desire to return to Northland led to 4 years in rural merchandise, from where the opportunity arose to join Farmers Fertiliser in 1989.

After 10 years in the fertiliser industry Noel left to rear calves on a small block just north of Moerewa.

Married, and with two small children Noel moved to Kerikeri and joined a small family business in the Nursery/landscaping industry. Fifteen years later the urge to re-join agriculture led to him buying a 15ha block at Pakaraka, returning to rural merchandise for a short period before the opportunity to re-join Ballance.

Noel’s hobbies include “The Farm” and building outdoor furniture. He also has two adult sons, both living near Perth, Western Australia

Martyn has been working for Ballance in the Te Awamutu area since June 2005, having spent the previous ten years working in the rural banking sector, much of it in the greater Waikato district.

Holidays on his uncle’s Te Puke sheep and kiwifruit farm was enough to convince a young Martyn that his future lay in agriculture. A season dairy farming helped fund him through a Bachelor of Agriculture (Rural Valuation) at Massey University, after which he added to his practical experience by working on several different farms in New Zealand, Australia, England, and Scotland.

Away from work he attempts to stave off the years by staying active with squash, surfing and the garden. The kids have left home but are local and still have shared interests with Mum and Dad.

Manjit Singh is the Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist for the Huntly / Morrinsville North region. Originally from India, Manjit went to primary school in Hamilton, going on to graduate with a Masters degree from the University of NZ-WAI. His early career was in the cosmetics industry in Auckland, after which he bought a 280-cow dairy farm near Tahuna, which he now farms with his wife and two children.

Manjit originally joined the Ballance team in February 2009 and has really enjoyed getting to meet so many farmers and doing the best we can for them.

Outside of work, he enjoys reading, realxing abd keeping fit with aerobics and light weight exercises.

Neil Walker joined Ballance in January 2011, having previously been the assistant farm manager on a 1500-cow farm in Hawke's Bay.

Born in Zimbabwe and raised in Johannesburg, South Africa, Neil spent his early work years in the retail, motor and property sectors. He and his family immigrated to New Zealand in 2008, and Neil embarked on a career in agriculture. While working on dairy farms, Neil took the time to complete a number of agricultural qualifications, to ensure that he could gain as much knowledge of the industry as possible.

Neil spent his first 5 years with Ballance as a Nutrient Specialist in the Far North and during this time, he was able to complete his intermediate and advanced sustainable nutrient management papers through Massey University as well as build and forge excellent relationships with his customers.

Neil is currently servicing the Mid North region where his combination of customer service, technical knowledge and practical farming experience make him an ideal representative for Ballance and Mid North farmers. When he is not working, Neil is an avid runner and a keen fisher-man

Shaun joined Ballance in 2012.

With a Bachelor of Education, Shaun began working life as a teacher before deciding to go dairy farming after returning from his OE. After 17 years milking cows, the last eight on his own farm, it was time for a change and Shaun sold the farm, moved to town, and began working for the Taranaki Regional Council. Two years after working for the council, there was an opportunity to work for Ballance, the company he had used himself for nutrient advice while farming.

Shaun enjoys discussions around farming and loves the positive role he can play in assisting farmers achieve their farming goals.

Outside of work Shaun enjoys fishing, golf, family time and visiting new places

Nick Riley spent the first 8 years of his working life on a dry stock farm prior to formalising his experience with an Applied Science Degree majoring in Rural Valuation & Farm Management. Following on from this, Nick has spent time in banking and in the fertiliser industry.

Nick and his wife have a passion for farming and have an interest in a 550-cow farm in Southland.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of the Nutrient Specialist role for Nick is helping farmers achieve production goals, and ensuring he provides them with the most cost effective products to achieve these goals.

Nick returned to Ballance in May 2014, following 2 years in the animal health industry where he gained valuable experience.

When Nick is not working, he enjoys fishing and other outdoor pursuits along with spending time on the side line supporting his stepson at Cricket and Rugby.

Robert Cargill (also known as Blue) started in August 2017, and is the Nutrient Specialist for Whakatane/Galatea based out of Edgecumbe.

He has spent most of his life in the rural sector, with 14 years experience working as a Technical Sales Rep with two of the country’s largest Rural Merchant companies prior to joining Ballance.

Blue was previously based in the Horowhenua and Manawatu before relocating to the Bay of Plenty, and is passionate about the rural industry. He enjoys the interaction with his farmers and is looking forward to working alongside them, helping with solutions to increase profitability in their business.

Outside of work he enjoys golf, fishing and horse racing; his wife is a former Jockey and trained their own racehorses.

Hamish is the Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist for Manawatu / Lower Rangitikei.

He originally joined Ballance in October 2018 as part of our Sales Intern programme based in the Western Lower North Island, before moving north to Taupo in February 2019. Through his career at Ballance Hamish has prided himself on his community involvement, challenging the status quo to support our environmental opportunities and trial work around the Central Plateau.

Growing up on a 200 ha intensive sheep, beef finishing and cropping farm west of Feilding fuelled a keen interest in the agricultural sector and being part of the farming community. Wanting to pursue a career in Agriculture, Hamish completed a Bachelor of AgriCommerce at Massey before heading overseas on his OE. His journey took him through Europe, the UK and Canada, and included working on Arable farms in Western Australia and Scotland.

He is a social and active person with an interest in rugby, motocross, snowboarding and hunting.

Dot joined Ballance in July 2019 as Nutrient Specialist Putaruru / Tokoroa.

She brings extensive experience to the role, having been dairy farming for over 10 years and also holds a Certificate in Advanced Sustainable Nutrient Management from Massey University.

Dot is passionate about the agriculture industry and enjoys helping clients to improve their productivity and reach their business goals.

A mum to two boys, she spends her time outside of work with family, and helping friends on their farms.

Andrew started his farming career working on a sheep and beef farm in Southern Hawkes Bay, followed by several years on dairy farms in the lower North Island. He has spent time in England working on three farms making silage.

He obtained a Horticulture Science degree from Lincoln University, and pursued a career in Viticulture working in Waipara, Hawke's Bay and Northland before joining Ballance in 2019.

Maree has been the Nutrient Specialist for Lower Manawatu / Horowhenua since January 2021. 

Maree grew up in Wellington and moved to the Manawatu to gain a Bachelor of Science (Chemistry) from Massey University.  Since then, she has held various technical and R&D roles in the agricultural industry, including for AgResearch, Fonterra and ARL, giving her insight into a wide range of farming practises.

Maree and her husband have been in the dairy industry for over 12 years.  In 2018 they sold their herd and now are in an equity partnership on a 550-cow dairy farm in Opiki, right in the middle of her area. 

Maree is passionate about her community and enjoys being involved in local activities.  Outside of work her two girls keep her busy and she likes to read and fish.

Madeleine Horne is the Nutrient Specialist for Methven/ Rakaia region, joining the Central South Island team in April 2021. Her passion for the rural sector stems from a background in beef cattle, being raised on a Murray Grey stud in Tapawera, Northwest of Nelson. Madeleine made the move to Canterbury to study a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science at Lincoln University, completing honours in soil science. After graduating, Madeleine worked as a Soil Fertility Analyst for a nutrient supply company which has provided her with valuable experience in various agricultural systems.

Outside of work, Madeleine enjoys staying active with a keen interest in training and competing sport horses. 

Thomas joined Ballance in August 2021 as the Nutrient Specialist covering Morrinsville / Matamata.

His love for the land and animals started young, and Thomas indulged this through working on several farms around the Waikato. He has also spent several years working in agricultural retail which has enhanced his knowledge of the industry.

Passionate about Kiwi agriculture, Thomas enjoys assisting farmers to see their businesses and the sector in general thrive.

In his free time, Thomas can be found in nature – whether it be walking with his dogs or looking after his other animals, he’s happiest outside.

Katie started working for Ballance Agri-Nutrients in October 2021, covering the Te Aroha / Matamata area.

She grew up on and around dairy farms and lifestyle blocks, igniting her passion for the industry and leading her to tertiary study. After completing a Bachelor of Management studies (AgriBusiness) at the University of Waikato, she embarked on a role with PGG Wrightson Fruitfed Supplies. She credits this role with growing her knowledge in both the Horticulture and Agriculture sectors.

She thrives on building relationships with customers, while striving to continue learning and embracing any challenges that come her way.

JulieBeth (JB) Mikkelsen is the Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist for Cambridge/Te Awamutu East.

She grew up on her parent’s farm in Ohaupo, where they had a dairy herd and a Charolais stud. She then attended Massey University, gaining a Bachelor of AgriScience with First Class Honours.

Initially joining Ballance in April 2013 as a cadet, she progressed to Nutrient Specialist for North Otago in August the same year. After spending two years growing the Ballance brand in the region, JB left Ballance in August 2015 to help on her parents beef farm. She also spent some time travelling, taking two trips overseas exploring South East Asia, the UK and Europe before returning to work for Ballance based in the Waikato.

JB has a passion for agriculture and enjoys getting out on farm and being able to help customers with their nutrient and environmental requirements.

Outside of work, JB enjoys travelling, playing social netball, and spending time with friends and family.

Jon started working for Ballance in lower Northland in August 2020, returning for a second stint with the company having previously been in the Bay of Plenty.

Born in the UK in the East Riding of Yorkshire county, Jon spent his early working career on a dairy farm before gaining a National Diploma in Agriculture at Bishop Burton College of Agriculture. After leaving college Jon entered the agrochemical industry working for an international manufacturer. He later took a position working as an agronomist for a large privately owned farming company, farming 11,000 acres of arable land in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire and Eastern Scotland. During this time he gained the BASIS and FACTS qualifications from Harper Adams.

Jon immigrated to New Zealand in late 1999 where he continued working in the agrochemical industry before joining Ballance in 2011.

When not at work, Jon enjoys fishing, shooting and his other passion is football, in particular supporting Liverpool Football Club.

Angus started his career with Ballance in November 2021, taking on the role of Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist Pahiatua / Dannevirke.

Hailing from a sheep and beef property in Kohunui, Pahiatua, agriculture has always been in Angus's blood. He gained a Diploma of Rural Business from Telford Rural Polytech, and then decided the wide world was calling - heading off on a working OE that took him to Alberta in Canada and West Yorkshire in the UK.

Upon his return to NZ, he and his twin brother embarked on leasing a family dairy, sheep, and beef farm, and also spent 5 years managing a farm in Tararua. He found like-minded souls through NZ Young Farmers and in 2010 was the East Coast Grand Finalist for the Young Farmer of the Year competition.

Angus's spare time is spent with his wife and 5 children - being involved in several community organisations and following the children with their many sporting activities.

Jessica Sharp joined Ballance in October 2015 as a Sales Cadet in the Taranaki region, before progressing to Nutrient Specialist Te Aroha, based out of the Morrinsville Service Centre.

Jessica completed a secondary teaching degree but decided that sitting in a classroom was not for her

Martin Burrows joined Ballance in December 2021 as the Nutrient Specialist covering Blenheim / Kaikoura

A Blenheim local, he brings a wealth of knoweldge to the role with over 20 years experience in the fertiliser industry and is also a Certified Nutrient Management Advisor.

Martin enjoys making connections and building relationships with his customers.

Sophie McLean joined the Farm Sustainability Services Team in November 2020.  Hailing from Southland, Sophie has always had a passion for agriculture and attended Lincoln University to complete a Bachelor of Environmental Management.

After university Sophie worked as a compliance officer for the Southland Regional Council, a role which gave her insight into the pressure the councils have on them with the increasing amounts of environmental legislation. She believes in working alongside our farmers to overcome these challenges and contribute towards positive, sustainable change for the future of farming.

Brittney is the Nutrient Specialist for Taupo/Reporoa, taking on the role in October 2022 after starting her career with Ballance in our Customer Services team early that year. She then progressed into our Outbound Team, where she was responsible for completing fertiliser plans for some of our smaller customers over the phone, giving her the perfect foundation for the Nutrient Specialist role.

Born and bred on an 1800ha hill country sheep and beef farm North of Wanganui, Brittney discovered a passion for the agriculture industry at a young age. This inspired Brittney to complete a Bachelor of Agriculture at Lincoln University. During this time, she has worked on a variety of intensive and extensive farms in the King Country, Southland, and Bay of Plenty. 

In her spare time, she enjoys heading back to the farm hunting, being on the water fishing, skiing, and spending time with friends and family. 

Soraya joins the Ballance team having spent the previous three years working for a large rural merchant company. Prior to that she had a long tenure working in Rural Insurance, based in the South Waikato / King Country area. She is passionate about agriculture and supporting her customers to achieve their farming goals.

Matthew joined the South Waikato team in April 2023, as the Nutrient Specialist for the Putaruru / Tokoroa.

Matthew’s interest in the agriculture sector was sparked at a young age, growing up in a family who was heavily involved in and around New Zealand’s primary industries. He fuelled this interest further by completing a Bachelor of AgriCommerce at Massey University, majoring in International Agribusiness. During his studies he was fortunate to secure a scholarship to travel to South America where he investigated both agricultural and horticultural systems. This enhanced his passion for efficient and sustainable farming methods while also helping farmers achieve their business goals.

Russell brings a wealth of knowledge gained through his time on the family farm as well as previous roles he has held, with much of his career spent managing stock and a range of sheep and beef farms. In addition to this he holds a Diploma in Sheep and Beef Production Management and owns a small farm in Ashley Clinton which he calls home. Russell has a passion for providing farmers the tools to assist them to farm sustainably and profitably not only for their generation, but for generations to come.

Jess Guy is the Nutrient Specialist for the Upper Manawatu/Upper Rangitikei. She has been with Ballance since January 2022, originally joining as part of the intern programme. Jess further honed her skills in a secondment position managing a portfolio in the Taranaki and King Country prior to this role in the Western Lower North Island team. Born and bred in Taihape and raised on a sheep and beef farm in Tolaga Bay, her passion for the industry has been evident since day one leading into studying a Bachelor of Commerce Agriculture at Lincoln University. Jess loves getting stuck in on the farm and going hunting with friends and family. She also loves community sport, playing both hockey and netball for Hunterville currently and more sports to come. She is looking forward to crossing paths with everyone in her area.

Meg Fleury joined Ballance in May 2023 as the Nutrient Specialist for North/Coastal Taranaki. She grew up in the small rural town of Ohakune, before heading south to Lincoln University where she studied a Bachelor of Environment and Society majoring in Environmental Management, followed by a Post Graduate Certificate in Applied Science. Having a number of friends and family in the rural community, Meg enjoys building long-term relationships with a wide variety of people and is passionate about helping clients achieve their goals. Outside of work Meg enjoys spending time with family and friends, skiing and getting out trying new things.

Alice came onboard with Ballance as the Nutrient Specialist for the Timaru-Oamaru region in October 2023. Growing up on her family's intensive arable cropping farm in Mid-Canterbury, Alice went on to complete a Bachelor of AgriScience with honours at Massey University in 2014. She has since worked in a variety of roles including rural insurance, dairy nutrition and livestock procurement that allowed her to combine her passion of agriculture and supporting farmers in their farming operations throughout the lower South Island. Alice moved to her partner's sheep and beef farm in Weston in 2018 and has since bred two young kids who enjoy the farm life greatly. In her spare time, she enjoys triathlons, particular the half ironman distance, which means lots of cycling and running as well as being a volunteer firefighter in the Weston Brigade. Alice is passionate about partnering with farmers to drive performance and profitability on farm effectively and efficiently.

Michael is the Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist covering Central / South Taranaki.

Michael returned to Ballance in April 2024, after spending time overseas. He originally joined Ballance in June 2021 as the Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist for this region, before embarking on his travels in 2023.

He grew up on and still maintains family ownership of an 800-acre sheep and beef farm in Piopio, equipping him with extensive practical experience to bring to the role. He also holds a Bachelor of Agri Commerce, with a major in International Agribusiness.

Michael has spent time in varied roles within the industry, including a livestock representative and a Grain Merchant looking after both international and domestic procurement.

His passion for the agricultural sector has been a driving force in helping him understand farmers needs and enjoys helping them achieve the best possible performance from their business.

Gretchen took up the role of Core Nutrient Specialist role in Coastal South Canterbury in March 2018, and has since taken up the Key Accounts Nutrient Specialist South Ashburton in January 2022.

A South Canterbury local, Gretchen hails from an arable and dairy support farm - which is where her interest in agriculture first took hold. This led her to Lincoln University, where she completed a Bachelor of Commerce (Agriculture).

She also has practical experience working on arable, sheep and beef and dairy farms, and she credits this with giving her a broad understanding of how differing farm systems work and building her knowledge base.

Gretchen enjoys working in the agricultural industry, in particular connecting with farmers to both grow her knowledge and help them overcome any challenges they may be facing.

Outside of work, she still likes getting her hands dirty helping on the farm, as well as hiking and water sports in summer.

Ali joined the Ballance team in April 2024 as the Key Accounts Nutrients Specialist for the Oamaru Region.

Growing up on the East Coast of the USA, born to a Kiwi Father and American Mum, Ali and her whānau shifted to New Zealand in 2001 where they purchased a small farm in Nelson. She fell in love with the rural lifestyle and community, deciding to pursue a bachelor’s degree at Massey University, double Majoring in Agribusiness and Equine Science. Upon completion of her degree, she worked as a Fertiliser Consultant for Fertilizer New Zealand, before moving with her partner to The Margaret River region of Western Australia in 2010. In 2021 they returned to New Zealand with their two children, settling in Windsor where they keep horses, Valais Blacknose Sheep and help on her father-in-law's Ngapara Beef farm. Ali then worked for the Ministry of Social Development, a role which assisted her in growing a strong network in the Waitaki.

Being surrounded by farmland and entrenched in a close-knit farming community keeps Ali invigorated to strive for a sustainable farming future. Performance and profitability are top of mind, whilst always considering the environment and her clients' long-term goals and aspirations for their business.

Anneke joined the East Coast team in September 2024, taking on the core Nutrient Specialist role in Hawkes Bay.

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She brings knowledge gained from her Bachelor of Science, working on sheep and beef farms, as well as previous roles working at ARL, primary ITO and Landcorp.

Anneke loves to help farmers and growers build a better future for themselves and the generations to come by farming profitably and sustainably, using tools to assist in making informed decisions.

When not working, she loves to spend time with her family and friends camping, tramping fishing, horse riding and any other sport.

Joining Ballance in October 2024, I bring a strong passion in agriculture, having earned a Diploma from Lincoln University in 2022. My education includes specialized courses in Livestock Behaviour and Animal Health through Primary ITO, as well as another course on the New Zealand Primary Sector.

Growing up on a dairy farm west of Whangarei created a deep passion for farming, which I continue to pursue today on my family’s beef block in Ruatangata West. After the dairy farm was sold, I continued to look for opportunities in the dairy industry, ultimately becoming a 2IC and even stepping into management roles at times by the age of 16.

I’m excited to contribute my knowledge and experience to the team at Ballance.

Josefin (known as Josi) joined Ballance in November 2024 after working for Farmlands Whangarei for a couple of years. Born in the countryside of Sweden, growing up on her grandfather’s dairy and pig farm, Josi developed a keen interest in the rural sector and the love of horses early on.

After extensive traveling and working in USA, Israel, Spain & Ireland, Josi moved to New Zealand in 2008, first working in the IT sector and project management. She then transitioned back to her rural roots purchasing a lifestyle property in South Head and began commercial rearing of Brown Shaver chickens for the backyard farmers.

Having inherited poorly maintained lifestyle properties in the past, Josi has learned the hard way the importance of soil maintenance for pasture growth and is looking forward to helping others with their nutrient requirements.

Josi now enjoys the rural lifestyle in Whangarei raising beef cattle, rearing chickens, and spending time with her 3 horses.