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Fonterra executive Jacqueline Chow addresses farmers at the recent DairyNZ Farmers Forum while chief executive Theo Spierings looks on.
Fonterra is set to lose two more executives.
The co-op's president greater China and managing director Asia Middle East Africa, Johan Priem, will retire next month.
Jacqueline Chow, newly-appointed chief operating officer global consumer and foodservice, will leave in early 2017 to return to Australia.
The departures herald a smaller seven-member executive group, says chief executive Theo Spierings. They will focus on achieving the co-op's ambition, he says.
"This is the right step in our evolution. We're keeping farmers at the heart of our co-op while focusing on our global customers and consumers."
Coming to the fore are managing director Oceania Judith Swales and group director cooperative affairs Miles Hurrell.
Swales, who led the streamlining of the co-op's Australian business, is the new chief operating officer velocity and innovation. Hurrell is now chief operating officer Farm Source.
Spierings says Chow, due to leave in early 2017, had been "instrumental in driving our transformation agenda [but] clear about her intention to retire from executive life". Until then "our co-op stands to benefit greatly from her wealth of consumer and business experience".
Swales will manage the co-op's transformation and disruption agenda, and all R&D and technology.
"With Judith heading up velocity and innovation we will get an end-to-end view of our efforts to drive efficiency... and a strategic view of game changing business models."
Meanwhile Alex Turnbull will continue to head Fonterra's Latin American business as part of the global consumer and foodservice business unit but will leave the executive team.
Kelvin Wickham, previously managing director of global ingredients, whose role and position remains unchanged, is now chief operating officer NZMP.
Robert Spurway, previously managing director global operations, is now chief operating officer global operations.
OPINION: There is zero chance that someone who joined Fonterra as a lobbyist, then served as a general manager of Fonterra's nutrient management programme, and sat on the board of Export NZ, a division of lobbyist group Business New Zealand, doesn't understand that local butter (and milk and cheese) prices are set by the international commodity price.
Kiwis love their butter, and that's great because New Zealand produces some of the best butter in the world. But when the price of butter goes up, it's tough for some, particularly when many other grocery staples have also gone up and the heat goes on co-operative Fonterra, the country's main butter maker. Here the co-op explains why butter prices are so high right now.
An A$2 billion bid for Fonterra's Oceania business would be great news, according to Forsyth Barr senior analyst, equities, Matt Montgomerie.
The world's largest dairy company may be in pole position to acquire Fonterra's Australian assets.
Over 85% of Fonterra farmer suppliers will be eligible for customer funding up to $1,500 for solutions designed to drive on-farm efficiency gains and reduce emissions intensity.
The Innovation Awards at June's National Fieldays showcased several new ideas, alongside previous entries that had reached commercial reality.
To assist the flower industry in reducing waste and drive up demand, Wonky Box has partnered with Burwood to create Wonky Flowers.
Three new directors are joining Horticulture New Zealand’s board from this month.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand (B+LNZ) says proposed changes to the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will leave the door wide open for continued conversions of productive sheep and beef farms into carbon forestry.
Federated Farmers says a report to Parliament on the subject of a ban on carbon forestry does not go far enough to prevent continued farm to forestry conversions.
New Zealand Apples and Pears annual conference was a success with delegates and exhibitors alike making the most of three days of exhibitions, tours, insightful discussions, valuable networking and thoughtful presentations.
OPINION: Sydney has a $12 million milk disposal problem.
OPINION: Canterbury milk processor Synlait's recovery seems to have hit another snag.
