1 March 2011

2 minute read

Oceania

Sir Henry said Mr Ferrier had indicated some time ago that he wanted to move on by the end of 2011. But at the same time he had made it very clear that his first priority was to do what was right for the business.

“As a result, Fonterra and the Board are well prepared for a smooth transition to a new CEO,” Sir Henry said.

“Andrew has devoted eight years to building Fonterra into a highly successful co-operative delivering great results for its farmer shareholders and New Zealand. In 2003 Andrew inherited nearly 20,000 people that made up Fonterra and has single-mindedly moulded them into a world class team, working to a clear strategy and with a real sense of purpose. Fonterra has never been in better shape, and that is a credit to Andrew’s leadership.

“Andrew has always placed great emphasis on finding the right people, building a strong team, and on succession planning,” Sir Henry said. “He has always wanted a planned and orderly transition to a new leader and we are particularly grateful for the flexibility he has shown the Board.”

Sir Henry said that the Board would be considering internal and external candidates. The assessment and development of internal candidates had commenced nearly two years ago and an international search was put in place at the end of last year.

“It is possible that we will have identified a suitable candidate by the second half of this year but Andrew is committed to continuing in his role until we have found the right person.”

TheCattleSite News Desk