Fonterra Japan Announces Appointment of New Director
Fonterra Japan has announced that Steven O’Connor, Finance Director for Global Ingredients Business, was appointed as a new director on March 31, 2026. He brings extensive international finance and strategy experience, having led corporate growth and transformation. Richard Whiteman, the former director, has retired.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 1, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 1, 2026 at 10:15
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 22, 2026 at 03:34 (497h 18m after Collected)
Fonterra Japan Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Ryusei Kunimoto), the Japanese subsidiary of Fonterra, New Zealand's largest dairy company, is pleased to announce that Steven O’Connor was newly appointed as a director at an extraordinary general meeting of shareholders held on March 31, 2026. Richard Whiteman, who previously served as a director, has retired.
### Name and Brief Biography of the New Director
**[Name]**
Steven O‘Connor
**[Biography]**
Steven O’Connor joined Fonterra in November 2025 as Finance Director, Global Ingredients Business. With over 20 years of international leadership experience across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, he possesses deep expertise in finance, strategy, business development, and transformation, successfully guiding companies through periods of growth and change.
Prior to joining Fonterra, he was with Ampol, Australia's largest transport energy supply and retail company, which also owns Z Energy in New Zealand. There, he served as Regional CFO (Fuels & Infrastructure) and COO (Trading & Shipping), leading strategy formulation, business growth, and operational optimization in the company's global energy business.
Before that, he held senior finance and sales positions at BlueScope and provided advisory services in cross-border transactions and private equity investments in PwC's M&A division.
### Date of Appointment
March 31, 2026
### About Fonterra
Fonterra is a cooperative owned by thousands of dairy farmers based in New Zealand. It has approximately 20,000 employees worldwide and accounts for about 80% of milk collection in New Zealand. It is the world's largest dairy exporter, supplying a wide range of dairy products including cheese, butter, milk powder, and milk protein to over 100 countries. Fonterra Japan Co., Ltd. is Fonterra's Japanese subsidiary, handling approximately 120,000 tons of dairy products annually.
### Name and Brief Biography of the New Director
**[Name]**
Steven O‘Connor
**[Biography]**
Steven O’Connor joined Fonterra in November 2025 as Finance Director, Global Ingredients Business. With over 20 years of international leadership experience across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, he possesses deep expertise in finance, strategy, business development, and transformation, successfully guiding companies through periods of growth and change.
Prior to joining Fonterra, he was with Ampol, Australia's largest transport energy supply and retail company, which also owns Z Energy in New Zealand. There, he served as Regional CFO (Fuels & Infrastructure) and COO (Trading & Shipping), leading strategy formulation, business growth, and operational optimization in the company's global energy business.
Before that, he held senior finance and sales positions at BlueScope and provided advisory services in cross-border transactions and private equity investments in PwC's M&A division.
### Date of Appointment
March 31, 2026
### About Fonterra
Fonterra is a cooperative owned by thousands of dairy farmers based in New Zealand. It has approximately 20,000 employees worldwide and accounts for about 80% of milk collection in New Zealand. It is the world's largest dairy exporter, supplying a wide range of dairy products including cheese, butter, milk powder, and milk protein to over 100 countries. Fonterra Japan Co., Ltd. is Fonterra's Japanese subsidiary, handling approximately 120,000 tons of dairy products annually.