Judith Swales has been promoted to the new role of Managing Director Oceania, joining the Fonterra management team after leadership roles with Heinz Australasia and Goodyear Dunlop Australia.
Fonterra CEO Theo Spierings says the appointment of Swales was a natural choice to ensure opportunities for growth and innovation in both consumer and foodservice portfolios that will maximise the Co-Operative’s volume and value strategy.
“Judith has extensive experience in business transformation and has led the reshaping of our Australian operations. She will continue to progress our detailed plan to lift our performance and turnaround is reaching a point where she is more than capable of taking on expanded responsibilities.”
Spierings believed that the new Managing Director’s understanding of the relationship between brands and consumers would assist Fonterra in building effective partnerships in the highly competitive supermarket sector in Australia.
Combining brand portfolios and businesses together was a major driving force behind Fonterra choosing to focus resources on achieving faster results in an efficient and sustainable manner.
A number of Fonterra’s consumer brands, including Mainland, Perfect Italiano and Anchor have been sold on both sides of the Tasman, leading Swales to ensure growth across the Australasian markets.
The appointment of the new Managing Director will take effect on the 1st November as Fonterra works through the process of appointing a permanent person to the role of Managing Director of New Zealand.