Thursday, 05 March 2020 10:07

Fonterra chair to step down

Written by  Staff Reporters
Fonterra chairman John Monaghan (right) with chief executive Miles Hurrell. Fonterra chairman John Monaghan (right) with chief executive Miles Hurrell.

Fonterra chairman John Monaghan will retire at the co-op’s annual meeting in November.

In a note to farmer shareholders and unitholders, Monaghan explained that his decision was the next step in the Fonterra Board’s development and succession planning.

“After 11 years as a Director, and having seen through the introduction of our new strategy, operating model, and with our debt reduction efforts well progressed, the timing is right for me and for the co-op.

“The board is committed to a planned chair succession that provides Miles (chief executive Miles Hurrell) and his senior management team with the governance stability and confidence they need to maintain the co-op’s momentum”, says Monaghan.

Fonterra said its board’s current plan was to announce a chair-elect by no later than August this year. That timeline would give its farmer-owners transparency of leadership prior to the cooperative’s director elections and allow for a period of handover before Monaghan retires from the board.

Under Fonterra’s constitution, its chairman must be selected from its pool of seven elected farmer directors on the board. Its independent directors are not eligible for consideration as chairman.

The cooperative also provided an update on a replacement for former independent director Simon Israel, who retired from its board in November last year.

Fonterra says it is making good progress on securing a replacement for Israel and will update its farmer-owners and unit holders once a suitable candidate has been confirmed.

More like this

Fonterra's in good shape

Fonterra released its interim results last month, showing a continuation of the strong earnings performance delivered by the co-op through the 2023 financial year. Here’s what Fonterra chair Peter McBride and chief executive Miles Hurrell said about the results…

China trade

OPINION: Last week's revelation that data relating to New Zealand MPs was stolen amid Chinese state-sponsored cyber espionage targeting two arms of the country’s Parliament could test the long-standing trade relations between the two countries.

Featured

Vaccinate against new lepto strain

A vet is calling for all animals to be vaccinated against a new strain of leptospirosis (lepto) discovered on New Zealand dairy farms in recent years.

TV series to combat food waste

Rural banker Rabobank is partnering with Food Rescue Kitchen on a new TV series which airs this weekend that aims to shine a light on the real and growing issues of food waste, food poverty and social isolation in New Zealand.

National

Frontline biosecurity 'untouchable'

Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard has reiterated that 'frontline' biosecurity services within Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) will not be cut…

Machinery & Products

New name, new ideas

KGM New Zealand, is part of the London headquartered Inchcape Group, who increased its NZ presence in August 2023 with…

All-terrain fert spreading mode

Effluent specialists the Samson Group have developed a new double unloading system to help optimise uphill and downhill organic fertiliser…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Plant-based bubble bursts

OPINION: Talking about plant-based food: “Chicken-free chicken” start-up Sunfed has had its valuation slashed to zero by major investor Blackbird…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter