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The Governance Development Committee (GDC) is a joint Co-operative Council and Board initiative
Established in 2006 to address succession needs within Fonterra, the dairy industry and the wider rural community.
The Committee’s primary objective is to identify and develop governance acumen in future rural leaders. This is achieved primarily through operating the Governance Development Programme (GDP), which builds farmers’ skills and capability in areas including governance, leadership, strategic planning and delivery and an understanding of Fonterra’s business.
The GDC is chaired by Andy McFarlane and members include Fonterra Chairman Peter McBride, The Co-operative Council Chairman James Barron, Councillor Don Hammond and independent member Janine Smith.
Farmer Director and GDC Chairman
Chair of the Co-operative Relations Committee and Member of the Appointments and Remuneration Committee
Elected 2017, last re-elected 2019
Andy Macfarlane was elected to the Fonterra Board in 2017. Andy was a farm management consultant for 38 years. He is a Councillor of Lincoln University and a Director of ANZCO. Andy is an active member of the International Farm Management Association (IFMA), Global Dairy Farmers and New Zealand Institute of Primary Industry Management (NZIPIM). Andy was previously a Director of Ngai Tahu Farming Limited. He is the Past President of the NZIPIM and chaired Deer Industry New Zealand for seven years.
Andy began farming in 1989 and lives near Ashburton. He has shareholding interests in the South Island. Andy has a strong understanding of the governance of research and development and innovation and has a particular interest in the strategic use of technology in the dairy industry.
B.Agr.Sc
Co-operative Councillor
Don farms 780 dairy cows between Rotorua and Te Puke, and has represented Fonterra farmers in the Western Bay of Plenty on the Fonterra Co-operative Council since 2016. He has served on the Council’s Governance & Ethics Committee and is currently a member of the Connection Committee and a Council Representative on the Board's Co-operative Relations Committee. He completed the Fonterra Governance Development Programme in 2015.
Don has also had a long career in forestry and biosecurity and works as a self-employed Biosecurity and Registered Forestry Consultant.
His governance roles have included inaugural Chair of the NZ Game Animal Council (a Statutory body), and presently he is an Independent Board member of the Bioprotection Centre of Research Excellence at Lincoln University; Chair of STIMBR (Stakeholders in Methyl Bromide Reduction); Chairman of NZ Centre for Gifted Education and Chairman of the Ministerial Arms Advisory Group for the Minister of Police. He is also a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors, and a director and chair of several private companies including small commercial aviation business Action Aviation Limited.
Fonterra Chairman
Peter McBride was elected to the Fonterra Board in 2018. He is a member of the Zespri China Advisory Board. Peter was previously the Chairman and a Director of Zespri Group Limited and other related companies.
Peter is a Managing Director of South-East Hort Limited and subsidiaries and Ellett Beach Farms Joint Venture. He was previously a Director of the New Zealand International Business Forum and a member of the Executive Board of the New Zealand China Council. Peter has shareholding interests in the Waikato.
Independent Committee Member
MNZM. BCom, MPhil (Hons 1st class),
Principal - The Boardroom Practice Limited
Janine has been a company director for over 25 years. She is a founding Principal of The Boardroom Practice Limited (TBPL) which specialises in boardroom practice and organisational development and change issues for boards and management.
She is currently Chair of REANNZ (Advanced Research Education Network), Council member of AUT, President of the London Business School alumni Auckland chapter, a well- known judge of business awards and a member of ArcAngels and Global Women.
Janine has held a number of non-executive independent board positions as director and chair in Public Listed Companies, State Owned Enterprises, Private Companies and with companies in the arts and education sectors. She was also a member of the screening panel for Crown directors for over 10 years. Janine’s executive director positions were with Telecom Directories and Arnott’s NZ where she was the GM/CEO.
In 2010 Janine completed a Master of Philosophy, research only, on Effective Boards from Inside the Boardroom, which was then one of the first studies of its type in the world. She was also acknowledged in the 2015 New Year’s Honours List receiving a MNZM for services to corporate governance.
Co-operative Council Chairman
James was first elected to the Shareholders’ Council in 2016 to represent Fonterra farmers in Matamata. He has served on the Council's Co-operative Culture and Performance Committees and was elected Chair of the Council in 2019.
He has a BCom from Canterbury University, and worked in real estate and travelled overseas before going into farming on his return to NZ.
He is a fourth generation dairy farmer, milking 450 cows on the 140ha dairy farm where he grew up south of Matamata.