Jude Horrill

Strategic Operations Leader | Former Orchestral Cellist | Functional Food Producer

Jude Horrill is a Co-Founder and Director of Food Production at Mycobio. Her professional journey is defined by a rare combination of artistic discipline and high-level corporate strategy, a background she now applies to the world of mushroom cultivation and functional food manufacturing.

A Foundation in Precision: The Orchestral Years

Jude’s career began not in a boardroom or on a farm, but on the international stage. As a professional cellist, she developed the mastery of technical precision and the “ensemble mindset.” In an orchestra, success depends on every individual part moving in perfect synchronicity—a philosophy of discipline, timing and communication that Jude has carried into every subsequent venture. 

The Culinary Connection: From Kitchen to Culture

Beyond her  musical achievements, Jude’s leadership in food production is fueled by a lifelong love for the culinary arts and years of experience working in commercial kitchens. This background in professional gastronomy provides a critical edge to Mycobio’s production standards. Having navigated the high-pressure, “service-first” environment of commercial food preparation, she understands that the true value of a functional ingredient lies in its quality, flavor, and integrity. This “chef’s eye” ensures that every food product she produces at Mycobio is a premium food product worthy of the finest kitchens. 

From Global Change to Local Production

Transitioning from the performing arts to the corporate world, Jude built a formidable international career specialising in strategic communications and complex change management. Having held senior leadership roles in major global organisations, she earned a reputation as a “straight talker” and a “disruptor of the status quo.”

Colleagues from her corporate years describe her as an “enterprise thinker to the core,” known for her ability to connect complex dots and build collaboration in high-pressure environments. At Mycobio, she has successfully translated this “enterprise-first” thinking into the technical systems required for high-standard food production.

Leading Food Production at Mycobio

As the head of Food Production, Jude is responsible for the operational integrity of the entire Mycobio range. She manages the complex logistics of biological farming, ensuring that the transition from substrate to shelf is handled with laboratory-grade precision.

Her role in the production facility is defined by:

• Strategic Operational Agility: Applying “agile” methodologies to the unpredictable cycles of mushroom growth to ensure consistent, high-quality yields.

• Systems Integrity: Overseeing the technical extraction processes and cultivation environments, ensuring every batch meets the strict standards of purity and potency Mycobio is known for.

A Straight-Talking Visionary

Based in Ohau, Jude is recognised in the New Zealand business community for her pragmatic approach and clarity of purpose. Whether she is fine-tuning a production run or navigating food safety regulations, her focus remains the same: producing nutritious, functional foods in a way that respects both the consumer and the soil.

“Jude brings a pragmatic approach to complex environments… her championing of organisational agility and collaborative leadership defines the operational excellence of our food production.”