After an exciting OE working on yachts in the South of France, Tannis Hannah has built a diverse career in Accounting, with significant roles in the UK and New Zealand, before joining Farmlands in 2021.

What did you want to do when you left school?

I chose to do Accounting as I had grown up with my parents running their own business, so was exposed to all facets of Business Management at an early age and really enjoyed getting involved wherever I could. Management Accounting seemed like a good base for many business-related career paths.

Tell us about your career to date.

I completed my degree in Cape Town and went on my OE to London. Within a couple of months I found myself in the south of France working on yachts, which I did for 6 years. After a lot of fun (and making a good nest egg to buy my first home) I moved to London where I continued my studies part-time while working as the Company Accountant for a Group of 12 Leisure Centres.

Once qualified as a Chartered Management Accountant, I moved to Centrica, a large electricity provider in the UK & Europe, and worked on some really interesting forecasting and strategy, looking 5-10 years ahead.

Whilst on Parental Leave we made the decision to move to Christchurch and I took a few years off to have our second child and settle into NZ. My first role in NZ was Management Accountant for GL Bowron which was great exposure to a manufacturing environment. I learnt about the tanning industry and the global demand for quality NZ products.

After a year I jumped at an opportunity to be the Company Accountant at House of Travel Holdings. I spent 15 years at House of Travel in various roles from leading the team of accountants and setting up a Shared Services department to support the 78 stores across the country as well as in Australia, and eventually spending a number of years as the Business Partner for the Owner Operators of each store.

What led you to Farmlands? 

I was keen to learn more about the Co-op and the Ag Sector. Change and growth have always energised me and I wanted to be a part of the transformation the Co-op was embarking on. The opportunity to be part of a multi-channel business in Christchurch also excited me so I was keen to help wherever I could. I wanted to continue supporting NZ owned and operated business as I love the Kiwi ingenuity that businesses thrive off and I am a big believer of everyone getting stuck in for the greater good. Living rurally, I also wanted to support my friends and neighbours in the Ag sector.

How have you grown in your time with us at Farmlands?

I have learnt so much in the time I have been here, with a large focus on Sales & Retail. I have expanded my data interpretation and reporting skills as a result of having such an array of valuable information and tools available to us in the business.

What are you most proud of and what do you most enjoy at Farmlands? 

Developing detailed business cases for projects that have since been implemented and come to fruition has been a highlight. Working with teams to improve operationally is really rewarding. Coaching the Retail team on what to focus on to achieve good commercial outcomes is another area that I have enjoyed. 

What would your advice be for someone who's interested in a career in your area at Farmlands? 

You can either work your way through traditional Finance career paths, with a mind open to all areas of business that influence commercial gains and financial outcomes, or, once you have honed any other specialist field eg. Supply Chain, Manufacturing etc. supplement your degree with a Management Accounting qualification and thereby offer complete commercial and operational support to businesses in a diverse array of industries. 

Interested in what we offer in the Corporate Services space?

Check out our Corporate Services page for more details.

Interested in working in our Corporate Services Team?

Connect with us on our careers site or check out our current vacancies.