Guy Cowan
After year-long global search, Fonterra has appointed new chief financial officer with truly international background.
Guy Cowan (53) is British citizen who was born in Argentina and educated in Brazil and England. He speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese, and during 23-year career with Shell International has held key finance roles in Europe, Latin America, Africa, Australia and the United States.
Currently vice-president finance for Shell Oil in the United States, Cowan takes up his new role on March 1 and says both he and his family (his wife is Australian) are looking forward to the lifestyle opportunities that go along with being based in New Zealand.
He is also attracted to the operational challenges of the Fonterra job.
“I look forward to helping Fonterra achieve its business objectives and to helping develop world-class finance organisation.”
In announcing the appointment last month, Fonterra CEO Andrew Ferrier said the company would benefit from Cowan’s strong track record across wide range of business disciplines relevant to its own operations.
“Guy’s vast experience in the financial management of complex and geographically diverse multinational business the size and scale of Shell as well as his knowledge of commodity markets, mergers and acquisitions, risk management and treasury operations will be of great benefit to Fonterra.”
The company had the luxury of being under no pressure to make an appointment until it found the best candidate to handle its $11.8 billion revenue as the company’s former CFO Graham Stuart has remained in an acting role while also taking on the newly created position of Fonterra’s group director for strategy and growth.
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