Grant Watson appointed as Synlait CEO
The board of Synlait in New Zealand has appointed Grant Watson as CEO. He will join the Synlait team in January 2022.
Watson is currently CEO of dairy company, Miraka. Prior to Miraka, he spent 10 years at Fonterra where he held several senior roles including director of global foodservice, acting director of sales Fonterra Brands New Zealand, managing director of Tip Top, and director of route and foodservice Fonterra Brands New Zealand. Prior to Fonterra, he built his executive career at McDonalds New Zealand to become chief operating officer. He has also held several governance and directorship roles for private and publicly listed companies.
Synlait chair Graeme Milne comments: “Grant has a track record of materially transforming and accelerating businesses by setting clear strategies, surrounding himself with diverse and talented people, and relentlessly driving execution to deliver strong sustainable results.
“Prior to Miraka, Grant led the significant growth of Fonterra’s Global Foodservice business and has overseen the successful commercialisation of numerous value-added dairy products. This is a key part of Synlait’s strategy going forward and we look forward to benefiting from his skills and experience.”
Watson adds: “I have watched the Synlait story with interest for many years and am excited to join the team in 2022. I’m a passionate New Zealander and believe our country has an important role to play in taking our high-quality products to the world. I look forward to continuing this journey with the Synlait team.”
Watson will be joined by Robert Stowell who has been appointed CFO after acting in the role for the last five months.