Onions New Zealand has appointed horticulture industry veteran Michael Ahern to the position of independent chairman.
Ahern has held critical roles in the rapid expansion of New Zealand horticulture since starting out in the kiwifruit industry in the 1970s.
Ahern founded Greenz Growlink, which was incorporated into the Freshmax Group in 2001 and was general manager of Freshmax Exports until 2008.
Ahern has been involved through his Primary Services Limited consultancy with the J M Bostock Group since then.
He said:“I have watched the trends in retail and consumer demand over the years which gives me a pretty good insight into where the challenges and opportunities lie for the future, particularly in international markets.
“I like to think I can relate to growers, because I’ve got a practical hands-on understanding of dealing with customers, suppliers and markets.”
Ahern is a past vice-Chairman of the NZ Horticulture Exporters Council.
No comments yet