Thursday, 02 July 2015 14:31

Fonterra consults staff as cuts loom

Written by 
Theo Spierings. Theo Spierings.

Fonterra has started consulting staff on proposals to streamline its business. The co-op is likely to shed hundreds of jobs as part of the review.

In an update, Fonterra chief executive Theo Spierings says the consultation is being conducted globally starting with its procurement, finance, information services, human resources, strategy and legal functions. Other parts of the business will follow in the coming months.

The purpose of the review is to ensure that the company is best placed to respond to a rapidly changing global environment, says Spierings.

The initial phases of the process have looked at the entire business in detail and had identified potential areas, including significant initiatives in procurement, business operations and working capital, where the Co-operative can unlock increased value for its owners.

The cooperative’s leadership is now building these opportunities into defined plans that will drive further improvement across the business, allowing Fonterra to fund its growth strategy and deliver stronger results says Spierings.

“We have the right strategy and the long-term future of dairy is sound, however the world is changing and global dairy markets are increasingly volatile. To keep ahead of the game, we need to be more agile, reduce costs and generate value,” says Spierings.

Fonterra will provide an update on the impact to its business structures following completion of consultation, which is expected later in July.

More like this

A Year of Delivery for Fonterra

Fonterra’s 2026 financial year was a year of delivery, with record volumes of milk collected, processed and shipped by the co-op.

Featured

A Year of Delivery for Fonterra

Fonterra’s 2026 financial year was a year of delivery, with record volumes of milk collected, processed and shipped by the co-op.

Editorial: Common Sense Prevails

OPINION: The Government's decision to reinstate agriculture and horticultural science as a standalone subject from Year 11 is the right one.

Miriam Lauridsen on Farm Health and Safety Culture

When dairy manager Miriam Lauridsen learned the farm, she was joining held weekly health and safety meetings, she initially thought that was “a bit over the top”. Experiencing that culture changed her mind.

National

Machinery & Products

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter