Westland Milk Products has appointed Australian Toni Brendish to run New Zealand’s second largest dairy cooperative.  Fairfax’s news article on the appointment follows:

First woman to head a New Zealand dairy company

Hokitika-based Westland Milk Products has appointed an Australian woman as its new chief executive. Toni Brendish is believed to be the first woman to take the top job in a New Zealand dairy company.  After Fonterra, Westland is the next largest dairy co-operative in the country. Brendish replaces Rod Quin who is standing down after seven years on July 31. Westland chairman Matt O’Regan said Brendish had extensive leadership experience in the international food and dairy industries, most recently as vice-president of DKSH (Thailand), a large consumer goods distribution business based in Bangkok, where she currently lives. “Toni’s familiarity with the manufacture, supply chain and sales and marketing of value-added dairy products, including paediatric and nutritional powders and UHT dairy products, will be of immense value to the company as we progress the development and execution of our growth strategy for these businesses,” O’Regan said. Brendish has spent a large part of her career within the Danone Group as managing director of Nutricia Australia and New Zealand; managing director of Danone Dumex (Malaysia); and managing director of the Danone dairy business in Indonesia. She starts her new role on September 5 and will live in Christchurch, as Quin did. “Toni is committed to spending a good proportion of her time on the West Coast to get to know our region, shareholders, staff and facilities well. But we also expect that she will be spending a fair amount of her time overseas directly leading Westland’s international marketing outreach,” O’Regan said.

Toni will be relocating from Bangkok, Thailand to Christchurch for the role.