Meet the 2024 Zanda McDonald Award winners

Australia's Tessa Chartres, 32, and New Zealand's Nancy Crawshaw, 27, were crowned the winners of the Zanda McDonald Award at a special 10-year celebration evening in Queenstown tonight.

Ms Chartres, who lives in Deniliquin with her husband and young twin boys, is the general manager of business development at Murray Irrigation where she is responsible for the delivery of Commonwealth-funded projects, water policy and commercial business contracts.

An accountant by trade, she says she has fallen in love with an industry she didn't even know existed growing up.

"This is the largest private irrigation operation in our country - it's an incredible piece of infrastructure," she said.

Her job revolves around the Murray Darling Basin Plan, which she acknowledges is a 'hot topic' but says at it's core is all about balance - between the community, the environment and farmers.

Ms Crawshaw is an extension officer for Angus Australia in NZ but has only just taken up that role after spending five years with Teys Naracoorte in South Australia working in quality assurance.

She took on the Australian job as a graduate year placement but stayed on much longer, experiencing meat processing through COVID, the run of record cattle prices and last year's market plummet.

It was a role, she said, that involved being 'thrown in at the deep end.'

"The QA team is under a lot of pressure with external audits - if you don't get it right you lose country listings overnight," she said.

The Angus Australia job, where she runs producer engagement field days and youth initiatives, was about 'getting back to my passion of genetics', she said.

"Those in agriculture are guardians of the land, looking after it for future generations," she said.

The Zanda McDonald Award, named after the prominent beef industry identity who died in 2013 following a tragic accident on his Queensland cattle property, was set up to accelerate the careers of young people in ag, and in turn, help to shape a better future for the trans-Tasman agricultural industry.

It provides big opportunities for growth, mentorship and education and ACM is a sponsor.

The two women were initially named as finalists alongside agribusiness lawyer Caitlin McConnel and farmer and rural property agent Nick Dunsdon, both from Queensland, and agriculture economist Carla Muller, from Whakatane, and Muriwair West Auckland beef producer Tim Dangen.

Award chairman Shane McManaway said the judges were extremely impressed with all finalists and the remarkable contributions they're already making to the agricultural landscape.

He said the winners embraced the values that hold true to the award, and were extremely worthy recipients.

"Tessa is smart, driven and collaborative, finding solutions to complex challenges that effect the whole food and fibre supply chain," he said.

"Nancy is thoughtful and sincere, and has an in-depth knowledge of the industry from pasture to production. She has a wide network across the trans-Tasman, and is passionate about the industry.

As part of the prize package, the women each receive a fully personalised mentoring trip in both countries, $10,000 worth of tailored education or further training, media coaching and ongoing networking opportunities.

Finalists also get rewarded, becoming part of the award alumni, and receiving ongoing access to mentoring, networking opportunities and support.