Tuesday, 18 March 2025 07:55

Fonterra woos investors for consumer business

Written by  Sudesh Kissun
Fonterra’s Mainland Group CEO-elect Rene Dedoncker is leading the roadshow. Fonterra’s Mainland Group CEO-elect Rene Dedoncker is leading the roadshow.

The divestment process for Fonterra's global consumer business is gaining momentum, with the co-op meeting global fund managers this week on a potential listing of the co-operative's newly formed Mainland Group.

Fonterra has also changed the roles of some of its management team members to reflect its strategy of growing its foodservice and ingredients business.

The co-op is weighing up whether the sale of the business, including major household brands Anchor and Mainland and integrated businesses, will be by trade sale to industry players, or an initial public offering (IPO) to investors.

The roadshow is headed by Mainland Group chief executive-elect Rene Dedoncker and CFO-elect Paul Victor.

Fonterra chief executive Miles Hurrell says the meetings were an important step in the process of testing the merits and value of an IPO, which the co-op was exploring as a divestment option alongside a trade sale.

"We are pleased to be making progress in both the potential trade sale and IPO processes and will continue to keep our farmer shareholders, employees and the market updated on milestones."

The divestment will need Fonterra shareholder approval. The co-op is targeting a significant capital return to be made to farmer shareholders and unit holders following the divestment.

The sale was part of its programme to grow further value for Fonterra farmer shareholders through its foodservice and ingredients businesses.

Last week the co-op also announced changes to its management team as a next step in implementing its strategy.

Richard Allen will lead Fonterra's global Ingredients business as president - global ingredients, with his remit expanding to include the co-op's Ingredients businesses in Greater China and Middle East Africa.

Teh-han Chow will lead Fonterra's global foodservice business as president - global foodservice with his remit expanding to include the co-op's Foodservice businesses in South East Asia, Middle East Africa and other markets. In addition to this, Chow will continue as the CEO for Greater China.

Hurrell says as the co-operative moves to divest its Consumer and associated business, now is the time to make changes to management team roles responsible for driving end-to-end value through Fonterra's global Foodservice and Ingredients business.

"This is an exciting time for the co-op as we shift to the front foot and drive greater value creation through our high-performing Foodservice and Ingredients businesses. Enabling our teams to have a clear end-to-end view of our channels will strengthen their ability and focus to deliver end-to-end value to our farmer shareholders," says Hurrell.

"Both Richard and Teh-han have extensive knowledge across these channels, and I know they are placed to lead these teams to help the co-op deliver our strategic goals."

Dedoncker's title will change from managing director global markets consumer and foodservice to managing director global markets consumer as he leads the Mainland Group businesses in scope for potential divestment.

All four of Mainland Group's geographic regions have improved gross profit over the past three financial years, Fonterra's roadshow for potential purchasers has reported.

The Oceania division of New Zealand and Australia is the biggest with nearly $500 million gross profit, and 14% of revenue, in FY2024.

It is followed by southeast Asia on $293m and 36% gross margin, Sri Lanka $106m and 22% GM, and Middle East and Africa $41m and 17%.

The Mainland Group of consumer businesses in Fonterra has 15 manufacturing sites, 11 of which are in NZ and Australia.

The four further abroad are the Biyagama plant in Sri Lanka, the Dairymas and Susumas plants in Malaysia, and Sikarang in Indonesia.

More like this

All eyes on NZ milk supply

All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.

"Our" business?

OPINION: One particular bone the Hound has been gnawing on for years now is how the chattering classes want it both ways when it comes to the success of NZ's dairy industry.

Farmers' call

OPINION: Fonterra's $4.22 billion consumer business sale to Lactalis is ruffling a few feathers outside the dairy industry.

Wasted energy

OPINION: Finance Minister Nicola Willis could have saved her staff and MBIE time and effort over ‘buttergate’ recently by not playing politics with butter prices in the first place.

Featured

Australia develops first local mRNA FMD vaccine

Foot and Mouth Disease outbreaks could have a detrimental impact on any country's rural sector, as seen in the United Kingdom's 2000 outbreak that saw the compulsory slaughter of over six million animals.

NZ household food waste falls again

Kiwis are wasting less of their food than they were two years ago, and this has been enough to push New Zealand’s total household food waste bill lower, the 2025 Rabobank KiwiHarvest Food Waste survey has found.

Editorial: No joking matter

OPINION: Sir Lockwood Smith has clearly and succinctly defined what academic freedom is all about, the boundaries around it and the responsibility that goes with this privilege.

DairyNZ plantain trials cut nitrate leaching by 26%

DairyNZ says its plantain programme continues to deliver promising results, with new data confirming that modest levels of plantain in pastures reduce nitrogen leaching, offering farmers a practical, science-backed tool to meet environmental goals.

National

All eyes on NZ milk supply

All eyes are on milk production in New Zealand and its impact on global dairy prices in the coming months.

Machinery & Products

Leader balers arrive in NZ

Officially launched at the National Fieldays event in June, the Leader in-line conventional PRO 1900 balers are imported and distributed…

JDLink Boost for NZ farms

Connectivity is widely recognised as one of the biggest challenges facing farmers, but it is now being overcome through the…

New generation Defender HD11

The all-new 2026 Can-Am Defender HD11 looks likely to raise the bar in the highly competitive side-by-side category.

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Full cabinet

OPINION: Legislation being drafted to bring back the controversial trade of live animal exports by sea is getting stuck in the…

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter