Divestment means Fonterra can focus on its strengths
OPINION: Fonterra's board has certainly presented us, as shareholders, with a major issue to consider.
Fonterra has appointed Judith Swales to the new role of managing director for Oceania.
Swales, the co-op's managing director for Australia since 2013, will report directly to Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings.
Spierings says Swales was the natural choice to lead Oceania, which is comprised of Fonterra's Australian business and its New Zealand consumer businesses, including Tip Top.
"Judith has a great understanding of consumers and their relationship to brands and has proven her ability to build effective partnerships in the highly competitive supermarket sector in Australia. By having Judith lead Oceania we are ensuring the growth of our brands on both sides of the Tasman.
"Judith also has extensive experience in business transformation and has led the reshaping of our Australian operations. She will continue to progress our detailed plan to lift our performance and profitability in Australia."
Swales joined Fonterra following leadership roles with Heinz Australasia and Goodyear Dunlop Australia
Fonterra Brands NZ will continue to run as a standalone business in New Zealand, under the managing director Jonathan Box, who will report to Swales. Fonterra is working through a process to appoint a permanent person to this role.
Swales will remain based in Melbourne, and her appointment takes effect November 1.
Meat co-operative, Alliance has met with a group of farmer shareholders, who oppose the sale of a controlling stake in the co-op to Irish company Dawn Meats.
Rollovers of quad bikes or ATVs towing calf milk trailers have typically prompted a Safety Alert from Safer Farms, the industry-led organisation dedicated to fostering a safer farming culture across New Zealand.
The Government has announced it has invested $8 million in lower methane dairy genetics research.
A group of Kiwi farmers are urging Alliance farmer-shareholders to vote against a deal that would see the red meat co-operative sell approximately $270 million in shares to Ireland's Dawn Meats.
In a few hundred words it's impossible to adequately describe the outstanding contribution that James Brendan Bolger made to New Zealand since he first entered politics in 1972.
Dawn Meats is set to increase its proposed investment in Alliance Group by up to $25 million following stronger than forecast year-end results by Alliance.
OPINION: Voting is underway for Fonterra’s divestment proposal, with shareholders deciding whether or not sell its consumer brands business.
OPINION: Politicians and Wellington bureaucrats should take a leaf out of the book of Canterbury District Police Commander Superintendent Tony Hill.