Ed Butler

Ed Butler
Manager, Pastoral Genomics

Biography

Ed Butler has worked in the New Zealand science and innovation system for over 18 years.  He started working for the Foundation for Research, Science and Technology in 1999 and was part of the team responsible for science investment in agribusiness.  After leaving The Foundation, Ed worked for Treasury monitoring the CRIs and at Crop and Food Research in the strategy team.  Ed has worked for Antarctica New Zealand as the Manager of Antarctic Science and helped to create the $5m philanthropic science fund the New Zealand Antarctic Research Institute.  Over his time at Antarctica New Zealand Ed drove more directed outcomes from the research that Antarctica New Zealand supported.

Ed is currently the manager of the partnership programme Pastoral Genomics.  Recently, Ed has contracted to the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment and has completed a number of other short-term contracts in agribusiness.  Ed is one of the founders of Left Field Innovation – a company working to develop new food and beverage products and agribusiness opportunities.