The co-operative’s group director of corporate affairs, Miles Hurrell, said the initiative was requested by shareholders as a way to shift decision-making closer to shareholders and communities.
Known as regional heads, they will have area managers, sustainable dairy advisers and other staff currently based in the regions, reporting to them.
Appointments had been made in Waikato, Bay of Plenty and Canterbury and were still to be finalised for Otago-Southland, Taranaki, Northland and Central Districts.
Hurrell hoped to have those appointments confirmed in two to three months.
An example of the calibre of staff being deployed was Paul Grave, who Hurrell said had been the director of GlobalDairyTrade but had now been appointed regional head in Waikato.
Hurrell said Fonterra had made a conscious effort to move more decision-making to the region where it would impact and said other positions could be decentralised if regional heads thought there was a need.
“Rather than sit in Auckland and deciding what is best for a region, the regional heads can make that decision.”
