Dr Gavin Ross joins the KBC Board as a Plant and Food Research shareholder representative. As Group General Manager, Marketing & Innovation he brings a deep knowledge of the technical and commercialisation elements that come together in support of a breeding programme that delivers new varieties. Gavin joined Plant & Food Research’s predecessor, HortResearch, as a research scientist and in the late 1990s was central to the establishment of genomics research for major horticultural crops, now integral to the Institute’s scientific programmes. After several years with Genesis R&D Corporation, in 2005 Dr Ross was appointed as HortResearch’s first Vice President of Business Development in the USA.
In 2010, Gavin returned to New Zealand and for seven years was the General Manager of Business Development, with responsibility for the Institute’s global business effort. For three years from 2014, Gavin was Chair of NZBIO, the NZ Industry organisation for Biotechnology industries. Gavin was instrumental in the creation of the Kiwifruit Breeding Centre, and was interim CEO over the establishment phase of the venture.