Shanna was raised on a sheep and beef farm in Rere, Gisborne where her passion for the primary sector all began. She gained a Bachelor of Science degree with a double major in microbiology and genetics from Massey University. Shanna has spent her early career in management within horticultural and environmental research and testing.

After winning the nursery industry’s Young Achiever competition, Shanna went on to be named the 2017 Young Horticulturist of the Year. This placed her as an observer on the Primary Sector Council advising government on the direction of the industry.

The experience gained has her well positioned to provide consultancy in strategic planning, funding applications and governance across multi-disciplinary businesses and groups. With an understanding of land-based, research, commercial, and regulatory stakeholder perspectives, Shanna is passionate about using science to guide continuous improvement of land-based management practices with growers and farmers.