Long time Zespri board member and current chairman John Loughlin has announced he will step down from the role early next year, after serving two terms at the head of the New Zealand kiwifruit marketer’s board.
Loughlin had stated in 2010, when he was re-elected as chairman, that this would be his last term on the Zespri board.
“In line with this intention, I have announced my decision to stand down from the board to growers, shareholders and other industry stakeholders,” he said in a statement this morning.
The exact timing of his departure next year is still to be determined, and Zespri said a new director would be appointed once he stepped down, to be confirmed at the company’s AGM next year.
The company will begin the process of choosing a new chairman over the next few months.
Loughlin became Zespri’s chairman in August 2008, and he stated it had been a privilege to serve as an independent director on the company’s eight-member board since 2002.
“This industry is one built on a pioneering spirit, camaraderie and a relentless desire to keep innovating and keep improving,” Loughlin said.
“While the industry is currently under significant pressure from Psa, I have no doubt that it will overcome this challenge – as it has challenges in the past – and will continue to be a New Zealand success story.”
