New Meat Industry Association Chair

New Meat Industry Association Chair

The New Zealand Meat Industry Association (MIA) has announced that its chairman, Bill Falconer, is to retire in April after more than 15 years in the position. The MIA is the trade association of New Zealand’s meat processors and exporters, New Zealand’s second largest export sector with annual exports of $7.7 billion, and New Zealand’s largest manufacturing industry with some 25,000 employees. Mr Falconer has chaired the MIA through a time of considerable change in the sector, including a reorientation of market focus to emerging markets in Asia.

As independent chair, Mr Falconer has successfully ensured that the highly competitive meat industry has presented a collective voice on key issues including on government policies and trade. He was also instrumental in the development of the 2011 Red Meat Sector Strategy which sought to identify ways in which industry profitability, for both farmers and processors, could be increased sustainably.

John Loughlin has been appointed to replace Mr Falconer and will take up his role on 6 April. Mr Loughlin has extensive governance experience as a professional director and company chair, currently including Powerco, agricultural technology company Tru-Test, EastPack and Port of Napier. He is a previous chair of Zespri, having held that position from 2008 to 2013. Mr Loughlin also has a sound understanding of the meat industry having been Chief Executive Officer of Hawkes Bay meat processor, Richmond Limited, from 1997 to 2002.

ENDS

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