All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Improving governance with fresh eyes

By David Porter
NZME. regionals·
23 Sep, 2015 06:00 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Michael Bell says a new independent director will bring confidence to investors.
Michael Bell says a new independent director will bring confidence to investors.

Michael Bell says a new independent director will bring confidence to investors.

A 30-year-old Reporoa family business has opened its doors to appoint its first independent director in order to improve governance, add value and help it grow to new heights.

The idea of bringing in an outsider was "a bit daunting", said Fiber Fresh managing director Michael Bell.

"Bringing someone we didn't know into the working secrets of our family business was something we had to think about seriously.

Grant Jeffrey
Grant Jeffrey

"But once we started the process, our confidence grew - it just makes sense now.

All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The bigger we get, the more common sense it becomes, because it's about practising good governance."

Initially advised by New Zealand Trade and Enterprise that it needed to consider appointing an independent director to help it develop, Fiber Fresh contacted the Institute of Directors (IoD) to ask about its DirectorSearch service.

"Like most small businesses, we initially didn't know where to go or how to do this, but understood why it needed to happen," said Mr Bell.

"The calibre of the directors the IoD provided us with was unbelievable.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"The process has given us so much confidence."

The IoD maintains New Zealand's largest database of independent directors, and helps companies match individuals' skills and experience with their specific business needs.

The number of directors reported in its most recent survey this year was 1976.

IoD board services adviser Kelly McGregor said the institute was approached by a broad range of organisations looking to appoint one or more independent directors to their board.

Discover more

Grant speeds up major forestry plan

17 Sep 02:00 AM

Biosecurity risks hammered home

22 Sep 06:00 AM

Student hopes to clean up with pet poo project

23 Sep 02:00 AM

What floats your boat? Show has it all

24 Sep 06:00 AM

"Family businesses in particular are seeing the benefits of having independent and objective views, to assist them in meeting their objectives," she said.

"We work with clients to determine their criteria and use this to provide a long list of suitable candidates for consideration.

"We can also assist with the overall appointment process and regularly participate on selection and appointment panels to provide an objective view."

Fiber Fresh identified experienced Tauranga director and IoD chartered member Grant Jeffrey.

Mr Jeffrey is general manager and a director/shareholder of family business Kiwifruitz, which won last year's Westpac Tauranga Business of the Year Award.

Mr Jeffrey said having an independent eye on a company was not only comforting for shareholders, but also gave external stakeholders more confidence.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Fiber Fresh is a company with global aspirations," he said.

"A skilled independent director with the right background brings huge value to a company.

"My governance experience of operating in family and corporate environments, an upbringing in agriculture, and international manufacturing and sales across 25 years, provides a good fit for the Fiber governance team."

Mr Bell said the move would bring confidence to its investors, banks and government funding agencies.

Fiber Fresh

* Is a leader in fibre nutrition for calves and horses.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

* Employs around 50 staff.

* Exports to a growing number of countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan and the Middle East.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Premium
Rotorua Daily Post

Auckland ICU doctor's book exposes NZ health system crisis from the inside

14 Jun 08:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Tourism boycott over council cutting Tourism BOP funding

14 Jun 06:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Claim councillor told another to '**** off' after 'true history' clash

13 Jun 06:00 PM

It was just a stopover – 18 months later, they call it home

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Recommended for you
Fox keeps impressive streak but falls further back at US Open
Golf

Fox keeps impressive streak but falls further back at US Open

15 Jun 12:08 AM
Rescuers search for two people after boat capsizes near Pātea
New Zealand

Rescuers search for two people after boat capsizes near Pātea

14 Jun 11:38 PM
Why Auckland City v Bayern Munich could be the greatest underdogs battle in our sporting history
Sport

Why Auckland City v Bayern Munich could be the greatest underdogs battle in our sporting history

14 Jun 11:21 PM
One reportedly dead as Iran launches more missiles, Israel targets Tehran
World

One reportedly dead as Iran launches more missiles, Israel targets Tehran

14 Jun 11:11 PM
‘Sink it, for all I care’: Mother calls for crane's removal after son’s fatal fall
New Zealand

‘Sink it, for all I care’: Mother calls for crane's removal after son’s fatal fall

14 Jun 11:00 PM

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Premium
Auckland ICU doctor's book exposes NZ health system crisis from the inside

Auckland ICU doctor's book exposes NZ health system crisis from the inside

14 Jun 08:00 PM

Mismanaged priorities, hospital bullies, public vs private - Dr Ivor Popovich tells all.

Tourism boycott over council cutting Tourism BOP funding

Tourism boycott over council cutting Tourism BOP funding

14 Jun 06:00 PM
Claim councillor told another to '**** off' after 'true history' clash

Claim councillor told another to '**** off' after 'true history' clash

13 Jun 06:00 PM
Top honours for star salespeople

Top honours for star salespeople

13 Jun 04:00 PM
The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE
sponsored

The woman behind NZ’s first PAK’nSAVE

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
All Access. All in one subscription. From $2 per week
Subscribe now

All Access Weekly

From $2 per week
Pay just
$15.75
$2
per week ongoing
Subscribe now
BEST VALUE

All Access Annual

Pay just
$449
$49
per year ongoing
Subscribe now
Learn more
30
TOP
search by queryly Advanced Search