Kristine Asuncion

Kristine Santos Asuncion is a dairy farmer, HR professional, business owner, and community leader based in the South Island of New Zealand. Born in the Philippines, she moved to New Zealand in 2008, completing her secondary education at Verdon College before studying in Dunedin, where she earned a Bachelor of Commerce and a Postgraduate Diploma in Entrepreneurship from the University of Otago.

For more than a decade, Kristine has worked alongside her husband as a contract milker, managing large-scale dairy operations and leading teams with a strong focus on performance, animal welfare, and people development.

She is also a business owner in Dunedin, bringing firsthand experience of the challenges and opportunities faced by small businesses in a changing economic environment.

Alongside her farming career, she has built a career in human resources and is a strong advocate for migrant workers and rural communities, serving in leadership roles within Federated Farmers and as Chairperson of the Filipino Dairy Workers of New Zealand.