Dairy product manufacturer New Zealand Food Innovation Waikato has appointed Tony Giles as its new Chief Executive.
Tony, who was formerly Chief Executive of New Zealand Dairy Goat Co-operative, will take over from Stuart Gordon, who
has been Chief Executive of FoodWaikato for the past nine years.
Stuart is stepping down from the role but will remain as part-time Chief Executive at Waikato Innovation Park, where
FoodWaikato is based.
FoodWaikato Chairman, Barry Harris, said Stuart was leaving the company in a strong position and FoodWaikato was
fortunate to have attracted someone to replace him that also had an in-depth knowledge of dairy manufacturing.
“Tony comes to FoodWaikato from New Zealand Dairy Goat Co-operative, so he not only has knowledge in the dairy goat
industry, but he also brings a wealth of experience in dairy manufacturing, international marketing, leadership, and
governance.”
FoodWaikato offers specialised spray drying facilities for the manufacture of innovative dairy products, including
infant formula. It tripled its manufacturing capacity with the commissioning of a new spray dryer in 2020 and it has
grown its staff from two to nearly 40, over the past nine years.