Meet Our Directors

Dominic Jones

Managing Director

Dominic (Dom) is the founder and Managing Director of Origin Capital Partners and combines a professional background in finance with lifelong personal involvement in kiwifruit.

Prior to establishing Origin Capital Partners, Dom had a career in banking, including five years in London, specialising in the sourcing, structuring and execution of complex and large debt deals.

Dom returned home from London to establish Origin Capital Partners and has successfully fundraised for both Origin Capital Fund 1 and 2. Dom leads the Origin Capital Partners investment team.

Outside of OCP, Dom’s other roles include:

• Board member at DMS Progrowers, a kiwifruit post-harvest business

• Board member at Zealafoam Holdings Ltd, a sustainable packaging business

• Trustee at Waipuna Hospice Foundation, the investment arm of Waipuna Hospice, a not-for-profit specialist provider of palliative care services in the Bay of Plenty

• Managing Director at Greener Pastures New Zealand.

Lain Jager

Director

Lain has an extensive record of leadership within New Zealand agribusiness, notably with Zespri from 1999-2017.  He initially joined the company as Human Resources Manager before becoming General Manager of Supply Chain in 2004.  In December 2008, Lain was appointed of Chief Executive Officer, a role he held until 2017.  During Lain’s tenure at Zespri he oversaw the successful commercialisation of Zespri SunGold™, the doubling of grower returns, Zespri’s market capitalisation grow by 8 times to over NZD1bn, and the industry recovery from the bacterial vine disease, Psa.

Lain’s insight into the industry, New Zealand’s position on the world stage, and understanding of the commercial viability of New Zealand kiwifruit is second to none and is of huge benefit in driving the strategic focus of Origin Capital.

Today, Lain is involved in a range of projects in tourism and agribusiness. He is a director on several boards including Spring Sheep, DMS Progrowers, Nibblish, New Zealand Avocado Oil, and Arepa, and acts as a strategic advisor to a small number of companies. Lain was Chairman of the Primary Sector Council that delivered the ‘Fit for a Better World’ report, which was released by the government in July 2020.

Paul Jones

Director

Paul has a forestry and agriculture background and has been extensively involved in all aspects of the kiwifruit industry for more than 35 years.

In 1989 Paul established DMS Progrowers, a postharvest business that provides picking, packing and storage services to the kiwifruit industry. Today DMS is one of New Zealand’s largest post-harvest and orchard management operators, and Paul is one of New Zealand’s largest kiwifruit growers.

​Paul holds a number of leadership positions in the New Zealand kiwifruit industry, including:

• Managing Director of DMS Progrowers;

• Board member since 2014 of Zespri, the single-desk exporter and marketer of all New Zealand kiwifruit;

• Member of the New Zealand kiwifruit Industry Advisory Council; and

• Numerous governance and ownership positions within different partnerships and commercial operations throughout the sector.

Paul sits on the Investment Committee responsible for evaluating the investments of Origin Capital’s kiwifruit investments.

Outside of the kiwifruit industry and Origin Capital Partners, Paul has extensive involvement in the New Zealand agricultural sectors with ownership interests in the forestry, dairy, sheep & beef, and apple sectors.

Craig Greenlees

Director

Craig has been an orchard owner and industry leader since 1983. Craig jointly founded DMS with Paul and is joint Managing Director of DMS Progrowers.

Craig served as a Director of Zespri from 1999 - 2014 and was Chairman of the Board from 2002 - 2008. During this time with Zespri, Craig oversaw the growth of Hort16A (the first ‘Gold’ kiwifruit) in global markets, as well as the subsequent transition to the SunGold™ variety that drives the huge profitability of the industry today. Craig was a founding member and served as Deputy President of New Zealand Kiwifruit Growers Incorporated, and helped form the Industry Advisory Council, which caters specifically to the financial, tax and regulatory aspects of the kiwifruit industry.

Craig is an active orchard owner and investor and currently has a direct interest in 38 orchards held in the Bay of Plenty and Kerikeri.

Craig has an extensive background in corporate governance, finance and operational management, particularly within agribusiness. Alongside Paul Jones, Craig has established numerous successful kiwifruit partnerships that continue to operate successfully today under his leadership and direction.