AbacusBio People

Tim is enthusiastic about agricultural science, and works at Abacus in the areas of technology, genetic improvement and bio-economics with experience in both New Zealand and Europe.

Tim’s specialty areas include:

technology implementation in agricultural systems
livestock breeding programme design and implementation
bio-economic evaluation of breeding strategies
extension and communication of agricultural science

Tim grew up on a farm near Gisborne and moved to Palmerston North in 2000 to study animal science and molecular genetics at Massey University. He then went on to complete a MSc (1st class honours) in Genetics, studying the inheritance and biochemistry of Chondrodysplasia in Texels. While studying, he worked as a shepherd, field trial assistant (Rissington breedline) and as a tutor and laboratory demonstrator. Tim then moved to Ireland and worked as a beef breeding analyst for the Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (ICBF), a company he continues to provide consultancy for at AbacusBio. At the ICBF Tim has gained valuable experience in a wider range of agricultural production systems with different physical and economic challenges, developed strong communication and extension skills, and gained experience in breeding programme design and implementation.

Tim joined AbacusBio in 2007 and works as a genetics consultant with a range of technology, agribusiness and farmer clients. He works alongside clients to integrate leading-edge production and molecular genetic technologies. His work includes cost-benefit analysis of DNA-marker integration, electronic identification and automated drafting systems.

Tim provides advice on the development of breeding strategies and works alongside clients to implement these strategies and incorporate products such as Abacus Accelerator. He also works on the implementation and economic evaluation of these strategies, including breeding program design and implementation in sheep operations, and development of indexes and breeding objectives for beef and dairy cattle. His client work is throughout New Zealand and internationally.

At the 2008 Australian and New Zealand Society of Animal Production (ANZSAP) conference, Tim won the young members award and in the near future, plans to commence a PhD. He will be investigating the economics of sheep breeding programmes, with a focus on the differences between European (Irish), Australasian (NZ) and South American (Brazil) sheep breeding systems. The project aims to research and compare the genetic variation in sheep profitability in breeding systems in these parts of the world.

In his spare time Tim enjoys sport shooting, hunting, water sports, travel and following the financial and property markets.

Contact Tim
P: +64 (0)3 477 6375
M: +64 (0)21 776 374
E:

Jorit Nühs

Jorit combines a passion for the environment with a broad range of business skills to ensure clients are well positioned to take advantage of carbon trading, new technologies and strategic thinking.

Jorit’s specialty areas include:

project management (PMP)
sustainability & climate change
emission mitigation and adaptation strategies
intellectual property valuation
economic analysis, cost-benefit analysis and feasibility studies
strategy development

Born and raised near Hamburg in Germany, Jorit originally studied business informatics, graduating from the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin with a BBI (Business Informatics) in 2003. Following this he worked at and co-owned a fast growing ICT company based in Berlin, Germany. Here Jorit was responsible for the project management, design and implementation of speech recognition applications. In 2007, he moved to Dunedin to undertake an MBA at the University of Otago. In 2011 he was certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP)® through the Project Management Institute (PMI).

Jorit joined AbacusBio after completing the MBA programme in 2008. He works as a project manager in different areas, including research & development (e.g. reporting on sustainability, climate change, emission trading and carbon footprinting methods) and IT (various software development projects).
Jorit works with clients to determine the impacts of the emission trading scheme on their farm business. This process involves determining a farm’s carbon footprint, developing strategies to reduce the impact of the emission trading scheme, overlooking emission trading compliance requirements and ongoing monitoring of farm progress. At AbacusBio, he also continues to work as a business analyst, helping clients to manage their IT risk and to identify best solutions and architectures for their business.
Finally Jorit also works in the areas of IP protection, technology evaluation and economic analysis. Some projects:

Project management of a major software development project enabling farmers to easily and accurately establish their farm carbon footprint.
Analysis of the value of a new dairy technology and establishment of an appropriate royalty rate for a commercial partner,
Evaluation of potential economic benefits (CBA) for UK farmers and wider society generated by a genome wide selection scheme,
Development of a technology roadmap for an innovative technology with the goal to secure and strengthen New Zealand's international position,
Assessment of IP position and competitive situation for a specific research topic followed by strategy development and action plan.

His passion for the environment spills out into his leisure activities, where he enjoys skiing, diving, fishing, hunting and is an amateur ornithologist. He is also a keen basketball and tennis player.

As the global focus on climate change increases, Jorit believes the primary sector has to deal with the far-reaching implications of changing consumer and export market demands and requirements, and also the New Zealand Emission Trading Scheme. He is convinced that farmers have the potential to adapt by modifying current practices and using smart technologies. His background in these areas will ensure that our clients are well positioned to take advantage of the low carbon economy as its influence on farm profitability increases.

Contact Jorit
P: +64 (0)3 477 6375
M: +64 (0)21 0248 2477
E:

Contact AbacusBio on
+64 (0)3 477 6375