Nicola Shadbolt

Nicola Mary Shadbolt is a New Zealand farmer, academic and company director. She is currently a professor of farm and agribusiness management at Massey University.

Academic career Shadbolt earned degrees from the University of Nottingham and Lincoln College (at that time a constituent college of the University of Canterbury) and a diploma from Massey University. Her master's thesis was titled Alternative management strategies and drafting policies for irrigated Canterbury sheep farms. Shadbolt worked at the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and then in a variety of roles in government, agribusiness and consultancy before moving to Massey University, rising to full professor.

Professional governance career Shadbolt has held multiple public and private sector directorships. From 1994 to 2001, Shadbolt was on the board of Transit New Zealand. She held multiple roles, including director, within the Fonterra group of companies from 2009 to 2018.

On 19 August 2019 Shadbolt was appointed as Chair and Director of the Plant & Food Crown Research Institute. On 17 December 2019 Shadbolt was appointed as a member of the Climate Change Commission and she concluded this appointment in December 2022. On 1 July 2026 Shadbolt commences as a member of the Environmental Protection Authority board.

Awards and honours In 2017, Shadbolt won the rural section of the Westpac New Zealand Women of Influence Award, and in the 2018 Queen's Birthday Honours, she was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to agribusiness.

Selected works