Dines will take up the position at the annual meeting on November 25.
Chairman John Wilson said world-class governance was one of the board’s top priorities, and the co-operative needed directors with a broad range of talent and depth of business experience.
“The board welcomes Dines, an Australian, who has outstanding business and governance credentials.
Dines has deep experience in China, having lived and worked there for 36 years, including 21 years as a senior executive for BHP Billiton.
China is one of BHP’s biggest markets. Taking up the role with BHP in 1988, Dines inherited a small trading business of A$20 million. During his tenure the company experienced a sustained period of very strong growth as China’s demand for commodities accelerated dramatically.
Dines is well-versed in managing the impacts of global commodity price fluctuations.
Fourteen years of his time at BHP in China were in a buyers’ market where the prices were low, while the last seven years were in a boom market.
“He has specialised in developing strategies and processes for setting up and running investments and joint ventures in China, and overseen teams undertaking significant change and business development in that country,” Wilson said.
”He was closely involved in one of the earliest joint ventures established in China in 1980, and was then continuously involved in a wide range of business ventures across a variety of industries and regions in China.”
Dines, who speaks fluent Mandarin, retired as president of BHP Billiton China in 2009.
He lives in Brisbane.
The independent directors of the Manager of the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund support Dines’ appointment.
