Executive Member Profiles

Brendan was elected BIANZ President for a second term in August 2011 after serving one term as President and two terms as an executive member of BIANZ.

Brendan’s family has links into the baking trade from way back and his parents even met years ago over a smoky donut fryer in one of his great-uncle’s bakeries.  An opportunity to come back to NZ and eventually take over the family business saw Brendan and his young family arrive back in Dunedin from the UK in late 2006.  Although a big change from the IT game, Brendan has a passion for baking and taking an innovative approach to the business of feeding people’s desire for the good things in life. 

Brendan enjoys inspiring his staff to be the best that they can be and this year is actively encouraging them to become involved in the industry competitions to find NZ’s best pie and best bakery.  This will help to ensure constant innovation and high quality standards within the team.  This behaviour also allows Brendan to teach them about the commercial realities of the business as a given products cost, commercial appeal and profit are balanced.

Brendan still has much to learn in the industry and loves the networking opportunities that come with active BIANZ membership.

Michael has been involved in his family’s business ever since he could climb on a box to reach the bakery bench. The business was originally established by his father in 1975. Having been bred into the industry he has an amazing passion for everything to do with baking and the baking industry, including networking and travelling the globe in search of new ideas. He happily enjoys the hours it takes to produce some of the best baked goods while successfully leading the team in the business.

Michael has developed great relationships with all suppliers to the baking industry and this is important in his work on the executive as his portfolio includes being Vice President and responsibility for the BIANZ Buying Partners. Michael is knowledgeable and approachable and is always looking for ways to help people as well as to take the Association and the industry forward.

Jason Heaven is an executive member of BIANZ. He served as President of the Baking Industry Association from 2007 to 2010. Jason is the owner/managing director of Heaven's Bakery in Napier, which now has six stores. The team at Heavens Bakery have won numerous awards, including New Zealand Baker of the Year six times, the Great Kiwi Pie Competition and in 2002 the Hawkes Bay Business of the Year Award.

Mike says, “When I am asked that infamous question “what do you do for a job?”, I am proud to say I am a Baker.I have been baking since leaving school at the end of 1979, completing a Cake and Pastry Cooking Apprenticeship and Trade Certificate at Maldon Bakery in Christchurch. My wife and I are the current owners of Hillmorton Bakery coming up to our 24th year in business.

Over the years I have learnt many things about our trade from the baking to the business. It is the experiences that I have had over these years that drive me to be on the BIANZ executive, passing on what I know to benefit the industry and the association members.I am also a Bakery Tutor at the School of Food and Hospitality at CPIT, a position I have held for the past 16 years. Recently my role has changed from solely teaching baking to Enterprise Manager of the School of Food and Hospitality."

Thomas is a second generation baker and, like many of the current executive, he grew up in the family business. The Windmill Quality Cake Shop has now been going for over 40 years.Thomas and his wife Mary own and operate the shop in Paraparaumu. Thomas has achieved a lot with his career as a baker and has won many awards. He now feels it is time to give something back to the industry.

Thomas is very passionate about apprentices and training and would love to see more young people take up the opportunity. He really enjoys it when his apprentices grasp a new concept and he sees the light go on when they finally get it!

Craig and his wife Janine own Divine Cakes and Desserts which is a Christchurch based commercial bakery and retail operation. Janine is the CEO of the company and runs the business on the day to day activities while Craig acts as the Director and Financial Controller.  Divine Cakes & Desserts has grown significantly over the last six years and are now operating our own purpose built commercial bakery, four retail cakes shops, a specialty wedding / celebration shop and various wholesale clients.

 Craig is also a well known business consultant having formed Business Innovators Ltd in 2002, a business development consultancy practice based in Christchurch.  Business Innovators specialises in providing strategic business growth, finance and management advice to a wide range of businesses in New Zealand.

Belinda has been Executive Officer of BIANZ since April 2007.  Prior to that, she worked as a craft baker for three years. Her involvement with the baking industry and BIANZ goes back to 2000 when she began working on various baking projects while employed by Crop & Food Research’s Education and Training unit. She attended a number of part-time baking courses at CPIT during this time and wrote two books for the Baking Industry Research Trust, “Café Cakes”, with Sue Zydenbos, and “The New Zealand Baker’s Glossary”. She was also instrumental in setting up the first BIRT website. In past lives Belinda has lectured in English Literature and worked in marketing, PR and as a journalist, but says baking is her one true love.

Belinda runs the BIANZ office in Christchurch and carries out iniatives on behalf of the executive and members, with the support of the Executive team.