Nikita Cornelius is CRV’s Northern Waikato sales consultant, joining CRV from her previous role as a veterinary technician with Vetora in Galatea BOP.
“I have a fairly diverse background, but my love has always been animals, whether that’s in dairy farming or in the equine racing industry, which my parents were heavily involved in while we were children,” says Nikita.
Originally from Galatea, Nikita grew up on a dairy farm where her parents also trained thoroughbred racehorses.
At the age of 8 Nikita and her family moved to a dairy farm just out of Matamata for better schooling and better thoroughbred racing training facilities. Her parents also milked a herd of around 70 cows.
“My first dream career out of school was to become a jockey but unfortunately my Body Condition Score (BCS) was too high, so that one didn’t quite take off,” laughs Nikita.
She explored other career paths within the racing industry, both thoroughbred and harness racing, including event co-ordinating, in between raising her children.
Nikita and her husband Mike found their first dream home in Matangi. But they had only been living there for a couple of years when a great role came up for Mike, who is a line mechanic by trade, and it drew the family back to Galatea for the past three years.
“It was an opportunity we wanted to take while the kids were young,” says Nikita.
While she was there Nikita was offered the opportunity to work for Vetora as a vet tech.
“Over three years I progressed into a head vet tech position. The job turned out to be an absolute career highlight for me and the beginning of a real passion for animal health and helping farmers,” she says.
Her family returned to Waikato this year with secondary schools in mind for their sons Lincoln (12), Ryan (10), Aaron (8) and Douglas (4).
It was a tough decision to leave Galatea again, but the amazing Galatea community will always hold a special place in our hearts, says Nikita.
“When I saw the job at CRV advertised it ticked all the boxes for me. I could still be involved with farmers on farm and help them care for and get the most out of their animals,” says Nikita.
“At CRV our farmers are more than just a number and I’m really looking forward to getting out and spending time on our clients farms and understanding how CRV can help them achieve their farming goals.”
She appreciates the tailored solutions CRV offers its customers and says she is confident her people-first and hands-on approach will help make sure she provides her farmers with the best service.