Separate board for N.Z.

Press, 28 November 1987, Page 29

Separate board for N.Z.

PA Wellington The merged Goodman Fielder Wattie will give its operations in New Zealand and Australia a high degree of autonomy under a management structure announced yesterday. Business in New Zealand will be co-ordinated by a board drawn from the previous boards of Wattie Industries, Ltd, and Goodman Fielder (N.Z.), Ltd, and chaired by Mr Pat Goodman, who is also the over-all group chairman. Mr Goodman said in a statement that at the top of the organisation would be a “strong and free-thinking” body to oversee the strategic development of Goodman Fielder Wattie. The New Zealand board will be: Messrs P. L. B. Goodman /chairman), J. S.

Baird, D. A. Budden, P. H. Goodman, J, T. Graham, A. L. Herman, A. M. Hughes, R. H. Jeffrey, J. S. Keniry, N. Laurence, D. M. McDonald, R. M. Mitchell, F. W. Orr, Sir Russell Pettigrew, B. I. Sundstrum, and P. J. Webb. The major operating divisions will have greater autonomy than in the past, and will be headed by a managing director responsible to the deputy group managing director for New Zealand. In New Zealand, the group will comprise these business groups each with their own managing director: Consumer foods, Mr Richard Jeffrey: cereal milling and poultry, Mr Ross Mitchell; baking, Mr John Baird; fishing, Mr Peter Vela; textiles, Mr Neil Lawrence; diversified, Mr Barney Sundstrum.

Mr Don Budden, previously deputy managing director, Wattie Industries, becomes deputy group managing director with responsibility for New Zealand. Mr Richard Jeffrey will deputise for him. Three more New Zealanders — all members of the previous Wattie board — join the main Goodman Fielder Wattie board: Messrs Budden, Graham, and N. F. Robertson. Mr Goodman said the main features of the structure, were: • An emphasis on the running of day-to-day operations of the company through 10 self-contained and largely autonomous business groups (four in Australia and six in New Zealand). • Creation of regional boards for Australia and New

Zealand with the function of monitoring and co-ordinating business in each country. • The appointment of two deputy managing directors — one for each country. • Establishment of a corporate function incorporating the office of the chairman and group managing director, the prime function of which would be long term development and strategy as well as corporate funding and treasury functions.

• The creation of new international corporate positions in London and Singapore.

The deputy chairman of Goodman Fielder, Mr C. A. Martin, will retire effective from the annual meeting. The new company officially came into existence this week.