OUR VISION
OUR PURPOSE
NZFN was set up as one simple solution to two major issues; good food ending up in landfill and the rising rate of food insecurity in New Zealand.
Our Founder, Deborah Manning, ONZM, set up NZFN at the beginning of 2020. Drawing on her 10+ years of experience working in the food rescue sector (also Founder of KiwiHarvest), Deborah saw there was a gap in the food rescue sector.
Thousands of tonnes of good food was still ending up in landfill. It was clear that traditional food rescues did not have the infrastructure to handle these volumes on their own. For this reason, NZFN was set up to collect, sort and redistribute bulk surplus food and get it to where it’s needed most.
With primary funding from the Ministry of Social Development, NZFN is distributing, on average, 600 tonnes of food each month. As a result, equivalent to over 1.7 million meal equivalents being delivered to 64 charitable organisations across the country, including those in some of the most remote and hardest to reach regions.
OUR VALUES
- Care: We care about the communities we work in and the people we work with.
- Collaborate: Our network is built on trust and collaboration. We work together with open, clear and proactive communication.
- Commit: We do what we say we will do. We are resilient and adaptable in finding solutions that create the best possible outcomes.
- Create: We encourage growth and innovation. We work together to challenge the status quo.
How NZFN Works
Donors
With one simple email or call to NZFN, businesses can identify and direct any volume of bulk surplus stock or gifted donations.
NZ Food Network
Food Hubs
*Food Hubs include food rescues, food banks, social services, iwi and other charitable organisations.
Recipients
PRIMARY FUNDING PARTNER
SEED FUNDING PARTNERS
NZFN is a coordinated, nationwide effort, spanning the private, social and government sectors, brought to life through the generous support of a number of passionate and dedicated partners.
New Zealand Food Network is proudly working with Aotearoa Food Rescue Alliance, Ministry of Social Development and Kore Hiakai Zero Hunger Collective to help build the capacity and capability of foodbanks, food rescue and community food services and prevent further shocks to food security in New Zealand.
Awards and Achievements
NZFN Governance
Suneil Connor is CFO of Service Foods, one of New Zealand’s largest food distribution businesses, where he brings more than 20 years’ experience in finance, supply chain, and operational leadership.
He is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (FCA) and has been a board member of KiwiHarvest since 2014, currently chairing the Audit & Risk and Remuneration Committees. He recently completed a nine-year term on the board of Auckland Foundation, where he chaired the Audit & Risk Committee, sat on the Investment Advisory Committee, and was a judge for the Tindall Foundation Grassroots Giving Programme.
Suneil is also Treasurer and a Committee Member of the Auckland Branch of the Institute of Directors, leading the judging for the Auckland Emerging Director Award, and serves as Treasurer and Committee Member of the Mission Bay/Kohimarama Residents Association.
Deborah is the Founder of the New Zealand Food Network and a respected leader in New Zealand’s food rescue and food security sector.
After founding KiwiHarvest in 2012, Deborah recognised the need for national infrastructure to complement local food rescue. She established the New Zealand Food Network in 2020 to connect food producers, manufacturers and distributors with food hubs and community organisations across Aotearoa through an efficient national distribution model.
As Founder, Deborah continues to contribute to the strategic direction of the organisation, working with the Board and leadership team to support long term planning, government engagement, sector collaboration and future growth.
Deborah is also a Trustee of New Zealand Food Waste Champions 12.3 (Kai Commitment). She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024 for services to the community and the environment and was named Sustainability Leader of the Year in the 2025 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards.
Erica Benton is an experienced senior leader with more than 20 years in executive roles across the FMCG, infrastructure, professional services, and technology sectors. She brings deep capability in business development, transformation, financial leadership, and guiding high performing teams through complex operational environments.
Erica is currently consulting to Indevin Group as the General Manager of Transformation where she has also previously served as Interim Group Chief Financial Officer and acting Chief Technology Officer. Erica also chairs the Audit and Risk Committee on the NZFN Board.
Previously, Erica was Chief Executive Officer of Cyma Limited and has also held roles as an Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer for WSP Limited, and finance and governance leadership roles for Coca-Cola, both in New Zealand and the UK. Erica is a member of the Institute of Directors and a Chartered Accountant.
Erica is passionate about ensuring people are at the heart of everything we do and feels strongly about the difference NZFN can have in people’s lives, addressing food insecurity within Aotearoa, and ensuring people have access to the necessities required to have a healthy life.
Wade is the CEO of Lewis Road Creamery and also a director at Marmont Investments, with over 25 years of commercial and executive experience. He has experience across the FMCG and food manufacturing sectors in New Zealand, Australia, and Asia. A former CEO of ABE’S Real Bagels and Pitango, Wade has a proven track record in leading business growth, building high-performing teams, and delivering results in complex, multisite operations. He is also deeply involved in the startup ecosystem, mentoring founders and helping build innovative food brands including Ārepa among others. Wade brings strong skills and experience across strategy, governance, and investment within New Zealand’s commercial food sector to the board at New Zealand Food Network along with a desire to help build food security and resilience across our communities.
Ian is currently Global Head of Agribusiness at KPMG. He brings over three decades of experience in auditing, governance, and strategic leadership in the agri-food sector with vast networks nationally and internationally. Ian is the lead author of the award-winning KPMG Agribusiness Agenda and played a key role in establishing the Mana Kai Initiative, which aims to transform New Zealand’s food system to be more inclusive and resilient. He is widely regarded as a thought leader in sustainable food strategy, and his long-standing commitment to food system equity will be invaluable to NZFN’s mission.
Ray is a Programme Manager at Coda Group and NZFN Board Member. He has over 25 years’ experience in freight, warehousing, manufacturing and IT in New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Germany. Most recently, he previously served as the General Manager for Operations Excellence at DHL Supply Chain. He has also worked in the FMCG, building products and engineering services sectors.
An avid touch football and rugby coach, Ray has managed programmes to assist families with sports gear as well as support initiatives to encourage Te Reo Māori and Manaakitanga within the business community. He is married to wife Karen and a father of three.
NZFN Management Team
Deborah founded the New Zealand Food Network in 2020 to create a national solution for redistributing bulk donated and surplus food, ensuring quality food could move efficiently to communities across New Zealand while reducing food waste.
Deborah’s work began with a determination to address the twin challenges of food waste and food insecurity in Aotearoa. In 2012, she founded KiwiHarvest, starting with local food rescue activity that has since grown into New Zealand’s largest dedicated food rescue organisation, operating across multiple regions. Together, the two organisations now form a food support system that rescues, redistributes and moves food to where it is needed most.
As Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, Deborah leads long term strategic thinking across both organisations. She works with the New Zealand Food Rescue Trust, Boards and Chief Executives to strengthen partnerships with government, iwi, industry and community organisations, identify future opportunities and help shape the future of New Zealand’s food support system.
Deborah is widely recognised for her leadership in food rescue, food security and food waste reduction. She serves as a Trustee of New Zealand Food Waste Champions 12.3 (Kai Commitment) and is a frequent speaker on food systems, collaboration and social innovation.
She was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2024 and received the 2025 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Sustainability Leader Award.
Gavin, our founding CEO, joined the New Zealand Food Network from a varied career spanning military (UK Royal Air Force), travel, aviation, business and logistics sectors. Throughout his career, he has continually worked to better any vulnerable communities he has encountered.
Awarded NZ Community Leader of the Year in the 2025 New Zealand Leadership Awards, Gavin has a passion for making a difference in and for New Zealand’s food insecure communities. “It is much better to GIVE than Receive” is a saying he often quotes.
Away from NZFN, he enjoys live sport action (Up the Wahs and Auckland FC), football, golf and travelling.
Natalie, an experienced supply chain professional with a background in food and packaging industries, brings expertise in procurement, supplier relationship management, and supply management. Inspired by her mother’s work co-founding a dog shelter in southern China, Natalie is dedicated to community betterment. This personal passion and commitment resonate perfectly with NZFN’s mission of getting the food to where it’s needed most.
Sophie has many years of experience in sales and relationship management across a range of industries. Sophie joins the team with a passion to channel her experience and energies into building relationships that ensure NZFN are top of mind whenever acthere is any food that can be redirected to where it’s needed most.
Martha joins NZFN after more than 15 years working in marketing and communications for public, private and not-for-profit organisations across the tertiary education, homebuilding and museum sectors. While much of her experience was gained in the United States, she is now proud to call Aotearoa New Zealand home and grateful for the opportunity to put her skills to work for the good of NZFN’s mission of getting food to where it’s needed most. She also considers herself a keen foodie and reasonably skilled home cook and baker. On the weekend, you might find her volunteering at one of our hubs, Fair Food in Avondale, or out and about with her beloved labrador retriever, Otto.
NZFN Staff
Abi joins the NZFN team as Corporate Donor Relations Manager with experience in account management and relationship management from her FMCG background. She’s passionate about working with food donors to help reduce waste and get good food to people who need it most. Abi is looking forward to collaborating with others to find practical solutions for our Donors and create positive outcomes for communities across Aotearoa.
Courtney joins the team as Account Manager with a focus on looking after our network of food hubs in the North Island. She has worked across a variety of roles including Account Manager in the online hotel space, Placement Coordinator in the ambulance sector and as a Project Coordinator. Courtney says she loves working with a variety of different people and being able to make a positive difference for others and is also a keen foodie.
Diana joined NZFN as a Logistics coordinator. She is deeply inspired by the companies’ goals & values to help those in need in our communities. These relate to her personal morals, making the job more special and valuable to her.
Diana is extremely passionate about her job and loves what she does as it allows her to work with such a diverse group of people and make a little change in many lives around New Zealand.
Geoff brings more than 20 years of valuable truck driving experience to the table and was doing deliveries for NZFN before taking up the opportunity to become a permanent part of the team. He says it’s a privilege to be able to make a small contribution to those in need of assistance in these hard times.
Hayden comes to NZFN after many years in the hospitality industry with experience marketing for Conference and Events. Hayden is excited to apply and refine his skills, as well as learn from the vast experience within the entirety of New Zealand Food Network. In his free time Hayden likes to stay active and can be found walking or running up and around many of Auckland’s mountains or catching up with friends.
Jana joins NZFN as a Transport Manager. Her background is in Supply Chain, having worked in Brazil for over 18 years with a focus on Procurement and Warehouse. Work at NZFN has been very rewarding and inspiring for her, as she believes helping others makes everything worth it.
Prior to commencing with NZ Food Network Kath was working as a heavy machinery operator. She has previously worked at a honey packing factory where she gained experience in warehousing and logistics. With a passion for making a difference to the lives of others, Kath is eager to play a role in putting food on the table for those in need.
Ken, NZFN Lead Hand, brings with him more than 40 years’ experience in warehousing and distribution. Having spent his career working for two family-owned pharmaceutical and cosmetics businesses, he is new to the not-for-profit sector but hopes he can make a difference through his work. He has been happily married for over 30 years, and has two great kids.
