Regional Manager - Sales & Service North/East Waikato - Counties/Manukau, BOP, Latin America.

Sara Reyes, former Trade Commissioner for Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, brings hands-on experience across dairy systems in Latin America, shaped by years working directly with farmers, agritech companies and distributors. 

Sara has a strong connection to both New Zealand and Latin America. She was born in the Waikato, raised in Auckland to Chilean parents, and spent part of her childhood in Chile. Her career began in sales and marketing with 42Below in the FMCG sector before moving into export as International Department Manager at the Auckland Chamber of Commerce.

Sara spent 13 years with New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, first as a Business Development Manager and later as Trade Commissioner. Her work spanned Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, and wider South America. This took her onto farms, into processing sites and trade fairs, working with agritech companies, distributors, and industry partners. Through this, Sara built a practical understanding of how different farming systems operate across countries, what farmers value, and how decisions are made in different environments.

More recently, as Trade Commissioner for Chile, Peru, and Bolivia, Sara led a regional team supporting more than 120 New Zealand companies across multiple sectors, including agribusiness. She was responsible for performance, planning, and delivery of sales and growth results. In practical terms, this meant helping businesses establish and grow in these markets, from building local partnerships through to supporting them in setting up in-market. She also led large-scale industry initiatives across the region, including growing Field Days Chile from a small pilot into a major platform for New Zealand companies with strong industry engagement.

Sara joined Waikato Milking Systems in March 2026 and works closely with farmers and dealers across Latin America and northern New Zealand. She spends much of her time talking with farmers, understanding their operations, and working with them to find practical solutions, while supporting dealers to deliver reliable service.