Rimanui have announced the appointment of Ben Jaunay to the role of General Manager Dairy

Baxter Executive Search is delighted to share that Rimanui have appointed Ben Jaunay as General Manager Dairy, commencing 13 April and reporting to CEO Josh Payne.

Ben brings over 25 years of experience across practical farming, herd ownership, large-scale operations, and executive agribusiness leadership. His career has been shaped by progressive growth from farm assistant and sharemilker through to leading multi‑farm enterprises and major agricultural organisations.

Most recently, Ben served as Chief Executive Officer at Oxford Agriculture Ltd, where he led a full organisational reset, strengthening governance, operational performance, culture, and financial sustainability.

Prior to this, Ben spent nearly five years as Operations Manager – Dairy & Assets at Ngāi Tahu Farming, where he led eight dairy farms and more than 40 staff. His tenure delivered significant operational improvements. Ben’s earlier career at Ellis-Lea Farms saw him progress to sharemilking 3,000 cows whilst for a period overseeing multiple farms and support blocks with more than 7,200 cows, shaping his deep expertise in large-scale dairy systems, people leadership, and commercial performance.

Across every role, Ben has become known for his ability to lift culture, empower teams, and deliver measurable improvements across production, financial results, and environmental outcomes. His commercial acumen, people-first leadership style, and commitment to sustainable agriculture have underpinned an outstanding career.

Rimanui will benefit greatly from Ben’s strategic mindset, technical depth, and passion for building high‑performing farming operations.

Please join us in congratulating Ben on his appointment and wishing him every success in his new role.