Lain Jager Appointed ZESPRI CEO

ZESPRI Group Limited

MEDIA RELEASE                                                                               

2 December 2008

Lain Jager Appointed ZESPRI CEO

Lain Jager has been appointed Chief Executive of ZESPRI Group Limited, effective immediately, following five months as Acting CEO and previous ZESPRI experience as Human Resources Manager and General Manager Supply Chain.

ZESPRI Chairman John Loughlin said the Board appointed Lain after an extensive five-month recruitment process. “We followed a robust process which resulted in a good quality shortlist of candidates,” said Mr Loughlin. “Lain has grown and developed in the role of Acting CEO in the past five months, and the Board is delighted to confirm that our industry will continue to benefit from his experience, skillset and dedication.”

Following a career in various human resources roles, Mr Jager joined ZESPRI in 1999 as Human Resources Manager and was promoted to General Manager Supply Chain in July 2004. His ZESPRI experience includes responsibility for human resources, communications, grower relations, corporate strategy, supply chain and innovation. He was appointed Acting CEO on 1 July 2008, following the departure of Tony Nowell.

“I’m delighted to have it confirmed that I will continue to be a part of the ZESPRI community which I’ve been involved with for the past 10 years,” said Mr Jager. “Real strength exists in our supply chain and this starts with our dedicated grower base and flows through to our loyal customers and consumers. I’m privileged to be surrounded by a significant depth of expertise and experience, both within ZESPRI and within our industry, and I’m looking forward to the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead.”

“Final returns for the 2008/09 Season are shaping up well and I believe we’re well positioned for future growth. But we can expect some challenges along the way as the global economic situation unfolds. I am determined that we retain our regulated industry structure, that we unlock the value within our GREEN business, and that we continue to build demand for our kiwifruit through new cultivars, brand strength, 12-month supply and product differentiation.”

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