25 Sep 2018

Five contenders for Fonterra dairy company's board

7:50 am on 25 September 2018

A long standing critic of Fonterra, Leonie Guiney, is seeking a position on the dairy cooperative's board.

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Photo: 123RF

A South Canterbury dairy farmer, Ms Guiney was elected to Fonterra's board in 2014, but failed to get re-elected last year.

She was subsequently involved in a legal battle with the company, which was settled out of court about six weeks ago.

Another contender for one of the three places on the board was Wairarapa farmer, director and former Fonterra Shareholders' Council board member John Nicholls.

Ms Guiney and Mr Nicholls needed support from 35 farmer shareholders to get this far in the board election process.

They would be up against three candidates approved earlier by the Fonterra Board.

The other candidates were Zespri chairperson Peter McBride, Māori businessman Jamie Tuuta, and Ashley Waugh, who served on the Board of Seeka and Colonial Motor Company.

Mr Waugh was a previous board member, who had retired under rotation rules and was now standing again.

To be elected to the board, each candidate must receive more than 50 percent shareholder support.

If more than three candidates get this, the three candidates with the highest levels of support would be elected.

There would be election meetings at seven locations before voting takes place.

Shareholders David Gasquoine and Stephen Silcock stood unopposed, so no election for the Directors' Remuneration Committee would be held.

Nominations had also closed for the Shareholders' Council Elections in 10 wards.

The three contenders for Waipa were Nick Palairet, Andrew Reymer and Mike Montgomerie.

The two contenders for Tasman were Sue Brown and Deborah Rhodes.

The remaining nominees had been declared elected unopposed.

They were Luke Beehre (Northern Northland), Ross Wallis (Waikato West), Don Hammond (Northern Bay of Plenty), Noel Caskey (Central Taranaki), Robert Ervine (Central Districts West), Mark Slee (Central Canterbury), Michelle Pye (South Canterbury), and Simon Hopcroft (Western Southland).

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