Meet the team
Our Staff
Start Afresh aims to create value in the production and postharvest sectors of the horticultural industry through application of innovation. Start Afresh is a small (yet rapidly growing!), high-output team of scientists and engineers who make things understandable.
David Tanner
Joint Managing Director
David has a proven track record, driving growth through incremental and breakthrough innovation in the agri-food sector. He is a highly driven, dedicated thought-leader with global leadership and management experience in utilising complex science concepts for genuine business improvement and profitability.
He has proven technical leadership and experience in crisis management with a track record of successful delivery. Collaborative and consultative leadership style that delivers on time.
David’s formal education includes an Undergraduate degree in Horticultural Technology from Massey University and a PhD degree in Food Engineering (also from Massey).
Prior to forming Start Afresh, David had eight years leadership experience with leading global horticultural brand company, Zespri International, with the past six years in an executive leadership team position (as General Manager, Science & Innovation). Prior to that, he had five years with a global top-six R&D authority in Australia (CSIRO), where he managed and undertook research for the Australasian Food Industry.
Sally Gardiner
Joint Managing Director
Sally brings over 25 years of extensive experience across commercial and supply chain functions in the fresh fruit sector. Her deep industry knowledge spans the entire value chain — from growing and harvest, through logistics and processing, to final delivery into global markets.
Sally is passionate about the work of Start Afresh, applying strategic insight and scientific rigour to identify emerging opportunities and address challenges with practical, forward-thinking solutions.
She is a qualified accountant and holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting and an MBA with Distinction from the University of Canterbury, as well as a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and Computer Science from Victoria University of Wellington.
Shaun Slattery
General Manager
Shaun has over a decade working in a variety of roles across the horticulture sector specialising in fresh fruit export systems, strategic and market access advice, and government regulatory interaction. The kiwifruit sector has also featured strongly throughout this time. Shaun spent five seasons at a kiwifruit post-harvest facility as inventory and fruit quality manager, gaining in-depth knowledge of fruit quality, inventory management, post-harvest processes and supply chain logistics. Shaun then spent just over four years at Zespri International, initially managing post-harvest quality systems and more recently as Zespri’s Market Access Manager.
Shaun is not new to Start Afresh having first joined the team in early 2018 assisting with field trials during the busy summer season. As Start Afresh has grown and with increasing permanent staff numbers, Shaun was attracted back as General Manager to help oversee the continuing growth of the business.
Tracy Newmarch
Lead Research Scientist
Tracy has passion for plant science and has spent 18 years working in plant production and applied research. Understanding what the plant needs and how both internal and external factors influence plant growth and productivity are some of Tracy’s interests.
Her love of applied plant research grew from working in the forestry industry. She was responsible for optimizing plant production processes within the nursery and understanding how nursery processes influenced initial plant growth in the field. More recently, Tracy managed the propagation of various fruit crops for sale to both growers and the retail market. Here she broadened her knowledge of various horticulture crops including blueberries, avocados, citrus and feijoas to name a few.
Tracy holds Bachelor of Technology, Biotechnology (Durban Institute of Technology) and a Master of Science degree in Biology from the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.
Caitlin Van Den Broek
Research Scientist
Caitlin is a Research Scientist who joined the Start Afresh team in 2022. Following a Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Biodiversity from Waikato University in 2019, Caitlin worked for Plant and Food Research in both the Pathology and Entomology teams. In these roles, Caitlin worked predominantly with Kiwifruit and Avocado crops. It was here that she developed a passion for horticulture, and in particular kiwifruit.
Caitlin has also worked as a Laboratory Technician for Hill Laboratories and Ixom. She loves the outdoors and enjoys the variation that her role at Start Afresh allows. Caitlin is excited to contribute to innovative science in the pre-harvest team and aims to help growers overcome some of the big issues currently impacting the industry.
Shane Olsson
Research Scientist
With 25 years of being involved in Fruit Production and Horticultural Research, Shane brings a wide range of skills and experience to the roll of Research Scientist.
Starting out on Commercial orchards both with Fruit Production and Bee keeping, Shane soon developed an interest in the wider horticultural industry. This interest led to moving into Horticultural Research and studies through Lincoln University.
After gaining experience in a wide range of scientific disciplines with Plant and Food Research (mainly Post Harvest/fruit Physiology), across many crops and industries, alongside extensive project management and overseas collaboration, Shane has developed a more holistic approach to Fruit Production and Horticultural Research.
Since joining StartAfresh, Shane has developed these skills further with a particular focus on the supply of fruit and especially the coolchain and ethylene/temperature management, shipping and Modified Atmosphere Packing. In addition, Shane also manages the cool storage logistics and storage of all fruit trials, which requires extensive temperature monitoring and ethylene control.
Outside of work Shane is an established Mount Maunganui Artist and can be found exhibiting his work at local weekend markets.
Sean McAlinden
Research Engineer
Sean attained his Bachelor of Engineering (Hons), majoring in Mechatronics, from Massey University in 2019. While working at Start Afresh, Sean has undertaken a series of Postharvest Studies, exploring areas such as the applicability and improvement of NIR technologies, alternative colour-formation processes for Gold3 fruit, and damage susceptibility of unconventionally harvested fruit.
Sean’s purpose at Start Afresh is to not only convert academic research findings into postharvest treatment applications, but to also develop the engineering solutions for delivering such treatments.
Ella Speers
Research Scientist
Ella is a Research Scientist new to Start Afresh and stepping into the horticultural industry for the first time. Ella recently completed a Master of Science in Biosecurity and Conservation from the University of Auckland, where she aimed to improve detection and monitoring techniques for invasive ants at low density. While kiwifruit is a far cry from ants, she believes her research skills will translate over and allow her to tackle some challenging questions the sector faces.
Ella gained a passion for innovation when her Masters thesis went on to influence Auckland Council’s standard operating procedures for ant eradication and hopes her work here can also have far-reaching impacts. She has recently moved to Tauranga and is excited to explore the region’s many hiking trails.
Dean Horsup
Research Technician
Dean worked for 40 years for NZPost up until 2019 and was in a senior leadership role in the operational side of the business focusing on the processing and delivery of packets, parcels and letters. With a passion for safety and the wellbeing of people there were opportunities for Dean to influence the way the business works. Dean spent time helping to drive and build productivity and efficiency gains in the Postal agencies in Malaysia, South Africa and the Philippines between 1995 – 1999.
Dean has joined Start Afresh to assist in the engineering solutions side of the business.
Natasha Windmeyer
Data Insights Specialist
Natasha plays a pivotal role in ensuring the accuracy and reliability of data produced by our laboratory, and she conducts comprehensive statistical analyses across a diverge range of projects. With a Graduate Diploma in Statistics, a Bachelor of Science in Genetics, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Genetics, she brings both technical expertise and analytical skill to the team.
Natasha prepares labels for all samples processed, verifies results, and approves laboratory data, making sure every detail meets the highest standards.
When she’s not working with data, Natasha enjoys escaping into fantasy books and exploring the walking tracks around Mount Maunganui.
Raewyn Robertson
Office Administrator
Raewyn brings over 25 years of administrative expertise, gained across a broad range of industries within both small businesses and large corporate environments. Her most recent role was with Penske New Zealand, where she dedicated 14 years—beginning as a receptionist, progressing to office administrator, and ultimately serving as Personal Assistant to the New Zealand General Manager.
In May 2024, Raewyn joined Start Afresh Limited as Office Administrator. In this part-time role, she oversees the day-to-day operations of the office and manages accounts payable and receivable. Working five mornings a week allows Raewyn to enjoy greater balance, spending more personal time on her passion for handcrafts and attending local craft markets.
Annie Reid
Laboratory Manager
Annie joined the team after completing her Bachelor of Horticulture at Massey University. Before studying at university, she worked as a hairdresser—an experience that gave her strong people skills and an eye for detail.
Now managing the lab, Annie blends the precision and client-focused approach from her hairdressing background with the technical knowledge gained through her horticultural studies. This unique mix helps her create a lab environment that is both efficient and enjoyable, where fruit processing is smooth, engaging, and always meets high standards of data integrity. Annie plays a crucial role in fostering clear communication between the laboratory and the wider team, ensuring that everyone remains informed and connected.
Outside of work, Annie is a passionate animal advocate and remotely runs a cat rescue charity based in the Manawatu.
Marcella Gaio
Laboratory Supervisor
Marcella joined Start Afresh in January 2025 as a lab technician and stepped into the supervisor role just a few months later in June. With a background in chemical engineering and quality control, she’s found working in horticulture to be a great opportunity for both personal and professional growth.
Originally from Brazil and now living in New Zealand, Marcella is known for being super organised, reliable, and quick to pick up new skills. She ensures the laboratory operates seamlessly on a day-to-day basis, keeping all processes running efficiently.
Outside of work, Marcella loves to travel and explore new places. She really values the experience of living overseas, learning new languages, and getting to know different cultures—all of which she sees as a big part of who she is, both at work and in life.