Fonterra boardroom battle heats up

Fonterra Chairman John Wilson. Photo / Richard Robinson

Fonterra chairman John Wilson has hit back at attempts by former directors to trim the size of the board at next month's annual meeting.

The former directors, Colin Armer and Greg Gent, said yesterday they had put forward a notice of proposal to cut Fonterra's number of directors to nine from the current 13 in a bid to lift the co-operative's performance and improve its governance.

Wilson, in a statement, said bringing a special resolution to an annual meeting on such a critical matter as governance and representation was "not the way our co-operative operates".

He said the board and Shareholders' Council were already working together to develop a discussion document on representation and the size of the board to put before shareholders early next year, with a view to a special shareholders meeting mid-way through the year.

"We need to have a constructive and genuine consultation within the shareholder base - not impose a solution developed by just two of our farmers," Wilson said.

"I want to hear the opinions of all of our farmers on this critical subject," he said. "Then board and Council will develop a proposal to be put to the vote," he said.

"This is not something to be developed on the back of an envelope," he said.
Fonterra has named six candidates for its board at next month's election.

Wilson, and fellow directors Blue Read and Nicola Shadbolt are retiring by rotation and are eligible for re-election.

The new candidates are Murray Beach, from Marlborough, Greg Maughan (Marton), and Ashley Waugh (Te Awamutu).

The election, which will be by post, fax or internet, will take place from October 31 through to November 23. A result will be known by the time of Fonterra's annual meeting on November 25.