MEDIA RELEASE – 26 November 2014
Westland Milk Products Annual Meeting – Director elections and appointments
Westland Milk Products shareholders re-elected two long standing directors (including chair Matt O’Regan), voted in a
new director for a casual vacancy and ratified the appointments of two independent directors at their company’s annual
meeting today.
Existing directors O’Regan and Frank Dooley were re-elected for a four year term. Hugh Little was elected for one year
to fill the casual vacancy left by the resignation of director Mike Havill.
Shareholders also agree to the re-appointment of independent director Bob Major for a further four-year term and voted
to accept the nomination of Brent Taylor as a third independent director role for four years.
Profiles of the re-elected and re-appointed directors are on the Westland website (www.westland.co.nz)
Mr Little’s profile:
Hugh Little is a former deputy chief executive of Westland Milk products, retiring 4.5 years ago after a 47 year career
with the company which saw him rise from the factory floor through various management positions to deputy CEOP and
General manager Operations. He has been a director of Westpower and the Westpower group of companies for the past 15
years and is a member of the New Zealand Institute of Directors.
A year ago he was elected as the Westland representative on Development West Coast.
He listed his particular skills as financial management and capital expenditure project management.
Mr Taylor’s profile:
Brent Taylor has spent more than 40 years in the New Zealand dairy industry, including the NZ Cooperative Dairy Company
and the Dairy research Institute. He had 12 years with the East Tamaki Dairy Cooperative including seven as CEO.
In the early 1990s he was the start-up executive manager for the global foodservice business unit at the New Zealand
Dairy Board and then the country manager of the Dairy Board in Indonesia followed by the same role in China. He went on
to become the Fonterra managing director for all Fonterra ingredients for all of Asia.
Returning to Christchurch Brent became GM New Zealand Manufacturing for Fonterra and later Director of Operations,
retiring from Fonterra in 2013. He is currently involved in professional directorships, consultancy and private equity
investment.
ENDS