By PHILIPPA STEVENSON agricultural editor
Dairy Board executive Chris Moller has filled Global Dairy's second key position, ending speculation that he might leave the industry after missing the top job.
Mr Moller, aged 47, head of the board's ingredient business, NZMP, will take the same role in GlobalCo as well as being
deputy to chief executive Craig Norgate.
Mr Norgate told the Business Herald this month that he regarded Mr Moller and his other rival for the top job, David Pilkington, as two of the best people in the dairy industry internationally.
"There's nothing that I'd like more than to have them stay on in the business," he said.
Yesterday, Mr Norgate said that under Mr Moller's leadership several divisions of New Zealand Dairy Group and Kiwi Dairies - the two cooperatives merging with the board to form GlobalCo - would be united under NZMP.
They were Anchor Products, Kiwi Dairy Products, Food Solutions Group, New Zealand Dairy Ingredients, transport, milk quality and other support functions.
"This move will create a very significant business in its own right and create the platform for NZMP to drive performance improvements and extract maximum value from the farm-to-customer value chain," Mr Norgate said.
Last year, NZMP's global sales topped $4.6 billion.
The division aims to double business in five years.
Mr Moller is the first appointment of five senior executives who will report directly to Mr Norgate.
The other four positions will be managing director of New Zealand Milk - at present Mr Pilkington's job with the board - the chief financial officer, as well as the directors of corporate strategy and human resources.
