Fresh meat!

 He follows former Silver Fern Farms chief executive Keith Cooper and former Alliance head Grant Cuff, who stepped down late last year.

Simpson left last month after eight years at the helm of Affco, owned by South Island-based Talleys Group.

Simpson told Affco suppliers it was time for a change; he wants to explore other opportunities.

 “I have enjoyed my time with AFFCO and leave with the company in good heart. We are profitable, financially sound, have modern well placed plants and, most importantly, a strong team to carry the business forward.”

At Alliance, new chief executive David Surveyor starts this month after a season as executive general manager of Laminex, a subsidiary of Fletcher Building.

He says he is excited about his new job. “Alliance Group has blazed a trail for New Zealand exporters for many years, not just in traditional markets, but also China and more recently Brazil and India.

“It is a privilege to be leading the business into its next phase. I aim to build on what has already been achieved to further improve the Alliance Group’s performance and returns to the company’s shareholder suppliers.”

At the country’s biggest meat company, Silver Fern Farms, Dean Hamilton is moving into the chief executive role, replacing Cooper, who has resigned after eight years in the top job and a total of 24 years at the cooperative.

Hamilton joined SFF as chief strategy officer in April 2014.