Blue Sky Meats names Todd Grave as new chief executive

Friday 23rd September 2016

Blue Sky Meats, the meat processor whose shares trade on the Unlisted platform, named former Fonterra Cooperative Group marketing executive Todd Grave as its new chief executive, replacing general manager Ricky Larsen who resigned in December.

Grave is originally from Southland, and has a background in primary industry marketing, international manufacturing, strategy development, and spent several years in Europe as a professional cyclist, the Invercargill-based company said in a statement. He will start the new role on Oct. 3. Board member and former general manager Malcolm McMillan was in the role pending a permanent appointment.

Grave spent 10 years with Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter, in marketing, business development, research and strategy roles in Asia, the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, North America and Australasia and his last position was as the global marketing manager for Fonterra's three largest brands. He left Fonterra to co-found the sportswear group F2P, which exports to more than 10 different countries and where he has now moved to a governance role.

Blue Sky posted a loss in the year through March and didn't pay a dividend, largely because its Gore beef processing plant was closed for capital spending, and couldn't take in a large number of cows sent for slaughter during calving due to low dairy prices, and it was later impacted by changes in stock flows for the remainder of the season.

Its shares last traded at $1.30, valuing the company at $15 million.

BusinessDesk.co.nz

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