International Brands Expert To Head NZ Milk

23 August 2004

International Brands Expert To Head New Zealand Milk

Fonterra Co-operative Group has announced the appointment of Mr Sanjay Khosla to the position of Managing Director of its consumer dairy products business, New Zealand Milk. He joins the company on August 30.

Mr Khosla was recently Senior Vice President, Global Beverages, Unilever and Chairman of its Global Board for the $5 billion Unilever beverages category. His work included the transformation of the Lipton tea business and the forging of a global joint venture with PepsiCo.

In the last five years, under his leadership, the Lipton beverages business was one of the best performing in Unilever Foods, with Lipton Ice Tea achieving double digit growth world wide.

Announcing the appointment, Fonterra Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Ferrier, said Mr Khosla had an outstanding international career of over 27 years with Unilever and had a very successful track record in running businesses and building global brands.

"He has not only successfully built global brands, sometimes from the ground up, but also achieved the dramatic gains in financial performance that come from creating high-value, high-margin consumer products. As Fonterra drives to move up the value chain, Sanjay's extensive experience will have a very important influence on New Zealand Milk's future and the development of its local and international brand portfolio."

Mr Khosla, who graduated with honours in electrical engineering from the world famous Indian Institute of Technology and completed the Harvard University Advanced Management Programme in 1998, has held posts in India, London and Europe.

He conceived and helped implement the highly successful mass market strategy with Wheel detergent in India. This was a pioneering initiative, with Wheel now Unilever's largest brand in India and one of India's megabrands.

Mr Khosla spent five years in London responsible for the Global management of successful brands like Pond's, Vaseline, Rexona and Axe.

He turned around Unilever's beverages and culinary businesses in Central Asia. He jointly chaired Unilever's Global Market Research Committee and in 1998 was named Marketing Superstar of the Year by the New York publication, Advertising Age.

With Professor Kim Clark, now Dean of the Harvard Business School, he helped develop Unilever's innovation system, adopted globally by the company.

Mr Khosla says that after 27 "fabulous years" with Unilever, he is really excited by the New Zealand Milk opportunity and being part of the Fonterra family.

ENDS

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