Our People
At Southbank Estate we have a diverse and exceptional group of people who share a passion for both the wine they help create and the Southbank Estate brand.
Our team of experts is totally committed to creating, producing, marketing and selling Southbank Estate’s range of premium wine which reflects the best of New Zealand’s finest and most proven grape growing regions.
Our talented team includes:
Peter Cutfield (Executive Chairman)
Noel Scanlan (Chief Operating Officer)
John van der Linden (Principal Viticulturist)
Matthew Mitchell (Principal Winemaker)
Kate Pritchard (Global Market Manager)
Miles Dinneen (Hawkes Bay Winemaker)
Peter Cutfield (Executive Chairman)
Peter has spent his career of 35 years involved in international business and has lived in six countries over an 18-year period. A New Zealander, he has been resident in Wellington since 1989.
Peter recently retired as co-CEO of Cutfield Freeman and Co, a boutique corporate finance house based in London. He now spends all his time in New Zealand focusing on the growth of Ager Sectus Wine Estates Ltd – Southbank Estate’s parent company which Peter and his wife founded together in 2000.
Noel is one of New Zealand’s most experienced wine industry executives, with a distinguished track record of success in leading, restructuring and growing a significant wine producer and marketer, Corbans Wines. Corbans was the second largest producer in New Zealand until it was acquired by Montana in 2000.
Noel has held positions as National Sales Manager, National Marketing Manager and from 1991 to 2000 was the Chief Executive Officer at Corbans. During that period he refocused the company and took it through a major restructuring involving a decentralisation and a rebuilding of brands and quality standards. Noel’s current responsibilities include all marketing and production.
John van der Linden (Principal Viticulturist)
A former senior viticulturist with Montana Wines in Hawkes Bay, John has overseen the development of all of the vineyards for Ager Sectus. He has a Bachelor of Horticultural Science degree from Massey University specialising in Viticulture and Oenology and has a wealth of practical experience.
John is a fervent believer that grape growing must leave a delicate footprint on the land. To this end, he is on the New Zealand Winegrowers research committee and has lectured in horticulture and viticulture for more than 10 years.
Wine is balanced with other passions. John is a sportsman – he rowed the 67km (42 miles) of New Zealand’s Cook Strait – a very challenging stretch of water, in 1995. He’s also a musician (lead guitar) and all-round “Good Kiwi Bloke”.
Matthew Mitchell (Principal Winemaker)
Matthew Mitchell’s working life has revolved around wine. His experience includes vintages in three countries in both hemispheres. Born in 1966 in Wellington, Matthew attended Massey University graduating with an honours degree in food technology. From there, he went on to the University of Adelaide, graduating with a post-graduate Diploma of Wine Technology in 1991.
Matthew’s practical experience began in Nelson, focusing on Pinot Noir and aromatic whites. An abiding passion for Pinot Noir took him to the Yarra Valley in Victoria, Australia and Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Returning to New Zealand in 1997, he signed on with Villa Maria, the country’s largest privately owned winery before taking control of Corbans Hawkes Bay winery – a major achievement for a young winemaker. A change of ownership resulted in Matt’s promotion to work alongside Tony Pritchard at the iconic Church Road winery in Hawkes Bay.
Matt joined Ager Sectus in 2002, and in 2005 he was appointed Principal Winemaker, with responsibility for all winemaking operations in both Hawkes Bay and Marlborough. His innate understanding of the key winemaking elements of balance and character mean that he strives to preserve the intense flavours that abound in the fruit of the Awatere Valley.
Kate Pritchard (Global Market Manager)
Kate was formerly the Sales Manager (Continental Europe) for Negociants International. She has a broad experience in wine marketing and brand development work in Europe in particular.
Miles Dinneen (Hawkes Bay Winemaker)
Miles completed several vintages as a cellar hand in New Zealand and USA, before he obtained a post-graduate diploma, Viticulture and Oenology from Lincoln University, Christchurch in 2003. He joined Ager Sectus in 2002, working with our Principal Winemaker, Matthew Mitchell, until taking responsibility for all of our Hawkes Bay winemaking in 2005.
