Strong growth for Yili's NZ operations
Chinese dairy giant Yili Group says its New Zealand operations are on track for strong revenue growth in 2025 after recording significant year-on-year growth for the first half of the year.
Westland Milk's new chief financial officer comes to the co-op with a track record in change management.
Dorian Devers joined Westland last week from the Linde Group (formerly the BOC Group) where he was financial director Africa, UK and Ireland and group chief financial officer for subsidiary Afrox.
Westland says Devers helped Afrox save NZ$48m, contributing to a 50% rise in its share price in his first year.
Westland chief executive Toni Brendish says she is “very excited” about Devers’ potential at Westland.
Brendish, appointed chief last September, has worked to improve Westland’s efficiency and cut costs, improve the co-op’s financial reporting and strengthen its core nutritionals market.
She also has a focus on partnerships with key commercial customers in priority, China especially. This has included strengthening the depth and experience of her management team.
Devers is the third new senior manager she has appointed, joining a new general manager China (Gary Yu) and a new chief operations officer (Craig Betty).
“Westland’s drive to improve its financial performance, and seek constructive mutually beneficial financial, technical and innovative relationships with key customers will be well supported by Dorian’s experience,” Brendish says.
“He has a proven record in leading transformational change in large and complex organisations to deliver sustainable benefits.”
Devers is married to Stephanie, a New Zealander, and they have three daughters Charlotte, Isla and Matilda.
He will be based at Westland’s Rolleston office.
Phoebe Scherer, a technical manager from the Bay of Plenty, has won the 2025 Young Grower of the Year national title.
The Fencing Contractors Association of New Zealand (FCANZ) celebrated the best of the best at the 2025 Fencing Industry Awards, providing the opportunity to honour both rising talent and industry stalwarts.
Award-winning boutique cheese company, Cranky Goat Ltd has gone into voluntary liquidation.
As an independent review of the National Pest Management Plan for TB finds the goal of complete eradication by 2055 is still valide, feedback is being sought on how to finish the job.
Beef + Lamb New Zealand has launched an AI-powered digital assistant to help farmers using the B+LNZ Knowledge Hub to create tailored answers and resources for their farming businesses.
A tiny organism from the arid mountains of mainland Greece is facilitating a new way of growing healthier animals on farms across New Zealand.
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