New Zealand dairy co-operative Fonterra announced today that it has confirmed Teh-han Chow as the first CEO of its Greater China business. Chow, who was named interim CEO in December 2019, previously served as the president of the company's dairy ingredients and solutions business across Greater China and Southeast Asia.

Fonterra's creation of a regional CEO role reflected the growing importance of the China market, according to Fonterra CEO Miles Hurrell. At the time, Chow was meant to hold the position temporarily while the company sought a permanent candidate, but COVID-19 may have both put a damper on the recruitment process and given Chow the opportunity to shine.

Hurrell said that the permanent appointment is "well deserved", and that Chow has " shown outstanding resilience, resourcefulness and empathy in getting his team and our China business through the ongoing challenge of the COVID-19 global pandemic."

“He’s made an impressive contribution...Teh-han’s leadership has helped keep us in good shape during a very challenging set of circumstances, and I’m delighted to welcome him formally to the Fonterra Management Team," Hurrell said.

Chow joined Fonterra in 2015, where he took on responsibility for implementing the company's Greater China strategy. Prior to that, he served as the China CEO of agricultural goods company Louis Dreyfus, and the Managing Director of food and agribusiness firm Simplot’s Greater China division.