Power Farming has appointed Tom Ruddenklau as Chief Executive - New Zealand following an executive search conducted by SEQEL Partners. 

Power Farming is a leading agricultural equipment distributor which imports and distributes leading brands such as Deutz Fahr, Merlot, Kioti, JCB et al. The company owns, either in whole or in partnership with a local operator, an extensive network of 21 dealerships across New Zealand.

Currently, Tom is Chief Operating Officer at Armstrong Group which operates 20+ vehicle sales dealerships across New Zealand. Tom has had a long association with the vehicle industry including executive mandates with Hyundai NZ, Volkswagen NZ, Bapcor NZ and Jucy Rentals. The first 10 years of Tom’s career were largely spent within the finance industry, supporting both motor vehicle lending and other types of credit. During this period Tom spent time at Volkswagen Financial Services in a senior sales and marketing capacity. Interestingly, he later ran VW NZ, part of the Giltrap Group, for seven years.

Tom holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Otago. He was raised on a Southland  sheep and beef farm. Tom describes himself as a “family labour unit in his youth” also had his own lamb crutching business to support his University studies.

Tom and his family will be relocating to the Waikato when he takes up his new role at Power Farming in early 2023.