Dairy Federation Elects Fonterra Representative

22 November 2004

International Dairy Federation Elects Fonterra Representative

The International Dairy Federation (IDF) has elected Dr Jeremy Hill, Fonterra Co-operative Group’s General Manager Research and Technical Operations, to a two-year term on the six-member IDF Management Committee.

Dr Hill was elected at the IDF General Assembly and Council meeting, held in conjunction with the World Dairy Summit yesterday n Melbourne.

The IDF Management Committee is delegated by the IDF General Assembly of 41 member countries to oversee governance and financial management of the IDF, with the IDF General Secretariat reporting to it.

Dr Hill, who has been Chairman of the New Zealand National Committee of the IDF and New Zealand representative on the IDF Council since 2000, says he is looking forward to helping the Management Committee to meet the challenges ahead.

Key challenges include appointment of a new Director General to replace Mr Edward Hopkins , who has headed the IDF for 15 years , the expansion of IDF membership, and maintaining the organisation’s relevance, influence and impact in the evolving global dairy and food industry.

Dr Hill, who has a PhD in biochemistry from Hull University, joined the former New Zealand Dairy Research Institute (NZDRI) as a research scientist in the then Protein Chemistry Section in 1991. After working in a variety of research areas, he was appointed Manager of the Food Science Section in June, 1993.

In addition, he has held a number of positions with the Livestock Improvement Corporation, including Group Manager Planning and Group Manager Research and Development, before returning full time to the NZDRI in 2000 as Deputy Chief Executive. With the formation of the Fonterra Research Centre in 2002, he was appointed General Manager of Resources and in 2003 appointed to his current position, General Manager Research and Technical Operations, Fonterra.

The IDF was formed by the dairy sector in 1903 to act as both a forum for discussion and exchange, and a first source of information on dairy issues globally. Its mission is to promote and enhance the image, trade, production and consumption of milk and milk products worldwide by collecting and disseminating scientific, technical and economic information , and providing a platform for meaningful exchange of professional knowledge and discussion.

It communicates with the dairy sector through the member countries, also serving as the link between the dairy sector and other international organisations Its focus includes dairy farming, developing dairy sectors, economics, marketing and policies, technology, hygiene and safety, food standards and risk management, methods of analysis and sampling, and nutrition.

New Zealand’s IDF membership fees, secretariat and management functions are funded by Dairy InSight, the industry “good” research arm, supported by Fonterra shareholder levy.

ENDS

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