Fonterra executive named new Massey University vice chancellor

Venter is director of Fonterra’s Research and Development Centre, located opposite the main entrance to Massey University. He replaces Professor Jan Thomas who has been the VC at the university since 2017.

Venter was born and educated in South Africa, and before coming to NZ in 2011 to join Fonterra, he was a researcher and later professor at the Central University of Technology in the Free State. He holds a PhD in Microbiology.

At Fonterra he has held several senior science roles all based at the companies R&D Centre in Palmerston North. In 2019 he was appointed as GM of Innovation Services and in 2023 became the director of the facility which is focused on developing what he calls the “next generation dairy solutions”.

Massey chancellor Alistair Davis says Venter’s appointment marks a significant milestone for the university. He says his leadership, strategic insight, and commitment to innovation and inclusion will be instrumental in strengthening its impact both locally and globally.

He says universities are evolving to handle new technologies such as artificial intelligence and the commodification of knowledge and believes that Venter’s experience of both academia and applying research into the commercial world will bring a fresh lens to this sector-wide challenge. Davis says his dualsector experience also positions him well to lead Massey from both an academic standpoint and as the leader of a large commercial research organisation.

"With Professor Venter coming from NZ’s largest exporter, and an organisation deeply embedded in the agricultural sector, Massey is reinforcing its highly regarded reputation as an applied university at the heart of Aotearoa New Zealand’s economy,” he says.

Proud Heritage

Professor Pierre Venter says what drew him to Massey was its proud heritage, clear sense of purpose, and global reach and says it plays a vital role in in areas that matter most to New Zealand.

“I see enormous potential to strengthen Massey’s leadership position both here and globally, to further modernise how it delivers education, and to build new partnerships with industry and government. Massey has the scale and capability to lead the next generation of universities, and I’m excited to work with staff, students, and council to bring that vision to life,” he says.

Venter is no stranger to the staff at Massey. Fonterra and Massey University have very close links and many of the 350 staff at the Fonterra R&D Centre are Massey graduates. Fonterra, Massey and the Riddet Institute, which is also based on the sprawling Massey Campus, work closely together and will continue to do so. His appointment also comes at a time when more students are enrolling in agricultural courses at Massey University.

In an interview with Dairy News earlier this year, Professor Venter talked about the need to produce dairy products that benefit the growing elderly population and to improve the overall health of all people.

“The way we see the trend globally is that if you consume more of the right protein at the right time you typically postpone or change health outcomes for the,” he says.

In the same interview Pierre Venter praised NZ dairy farmers for the awesome job they do, not only by putting in the hours they do to produce milk, but also the quality of their milk that goes into the vat.

Venter starts on February 2, 2026.