AWDT business course creates next generation of ‘farm CFOs’

Graduates of a newly-updated Agri-Women’s Development Trust (AWDT) course are taking more value than ever from the programme, with some even walking away calling themselves the “farm CFO”.

The first group of women to complete AWDT’s refreshed Understanding Your Farming Business (UYFB) course graduated on August 7.

The finance basics of the course have been reviewed and updated – things like cashflow, budgets, understanding accounts and managing risk – but the course now goes well beyond spreadsheets, General Manager Julia Jones said.

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Above: AWDT General Manager Julia Jones.

Content focused on communication and leadership skills has been added and refined - but the headline change is a new decision‑making framework development supported by KPMG insight.

Jones said the timing was right for such an addition - costs are tight, markets are shifting, and commentary can sometimes be distracting.

“A clear process for choosing what to do, and why, is worth its weight in gold, Jones said.

“The redesign was geared to deliver confidence, competence and decisions that stack up.”

Jones said ANZ’s agri-banking team were extremely important in helping AWDT understand the usefulness of the three modules, as well as updating the financial elements of the course to better reflect the changing requirements of the last few years.

“The ANZ team are talking to clients daily - so their ability to provide real-time practical insight was incredibly valuable,” Jones said.

Beef + Lamb New Zealand also supported the re-vamp, focusing in on the production metric portions and the how to work through decision making frameworks

Jones said the Trust’s focus is on building capability that people can use tomorrow - not theory that fades by Friday.

Small cohorts - typically a dozen or so - keep the courses honest and personal, she said, and the UYFB format is workable for busy lives: three in‑person days over three months, with online check‑ins in between to keep momentum.

ANZ Managing Director of Business and Agri Lorraine Mapu said it made sense to get in behind the Trust with sponsorship and support.

“Confident, capable women help to build better farming businesses, and stronger communities,” Mapu said.

“Agriculture is a critical part of New Zealand’s economy, so when we build up expertise in the sector like this, it translates into financial wins for the whole country.

“We’re really proud to have backed the Trust since 2011 – almost 15 years now – and many of our own agri specialists have found value in them first-hand.”

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Above: Refreshed materials for the Understanding Your Farming Business course.

ANZ banker Sarah Press completed a three‑day strategy, finance and governance module within the Escalator programme in 2019, and described it as “invaluable”.

“The courses offered by AWDT are genuinely transformative - they not only develop professional skills but also nurture confidence, connection, and leadership,” Press said.

“For many, hands-on farming experience is abundant, but structured learning provides the insights into financial management, risk assessment, business strategy, and leadership - key areas that aren't always intuitive from day-to-day operations.

“They also open up nationwide networking and mentorship, creating a cohort that can be invaluable - it’s a community that continues to inspire well beyond the program itself.”

AWDT offers a wide range of courses, including UYFB, Next Level, Power Up, Wāhine o te Whenua, It’s All About YOU, and Escalator.

More information on the Trust’s courses is available at awdt.org.nz.

Pictured at the top of the article are Understanding Your Farming Business graduates, from left (front): Alex Ferguson, Ellesh Rae, Rachel McCarthy, Lou Ward and Megan Gardner. Rear: Sarah Bassett, Rachel Neppelenbroek, Belinda Rutherford, Emily Nicolson, Yvette Dalley and Elizabeth McEvedy.