Sir John Anderson to become chairman of PGG Wrightson

Friday 26th February 2010

Sir John Anderson, who has had a distinguished career in business and community service in New Zealand, is to join the Board of PGG Wrightson and become chairman of the company.

Sir John's appointment is one of a series of changes to the Board.

The changes are detailed in the separate announcement issued on the company's trading results for the six months ended 31 December 2009.

Keith Smith, who has been a director since the formation of the company in 2005 and chairman since July 2009, will remain on the Board as an independent director.

Sir John Anderson says he is delighted to accept the challenge of leading a company which plays a vital role in agriculture in New Zealand.

"PGG Wrightson has a unique combination of skilled people, intellectual property, international networks and other resources that can be put to work for the benefit of farmers, their communities and the nation.

"I am looking forward to working with the rest of the Board and the management group to drive the next stage of the company's development," he says.

Sir John is currently chairman of Television New Zealand, Capital & Coast District Health Board, the New Zealand Venture Investment Fund and the Wellington Regional Strategy Committee. He is a Commissioner of the Hawke's Bay District Health Board and serves as a director of Commonwealth Bank of Australia and the Wellington Regional Stadium Trust.

Sir John was formerly chief executive of the ANZ National Bank until his retirement in 2005, chairman of New Zealand Cricket, New Zealand's representative director on the International Cricket Council and chairman of the New Zealand Sports Foundation.

He has held advisory and governance roles for successive governments through the 1980s and 1990s, received the 1990 Commemoration Medal for Services to New Zealand and was knighted in 1994.

In 1995 he was awarded NBR "New Zealander of the Year." In 2003 he received the Deloittes Top 200 Company Award as "New Zealand's Most Visionary Leader." In 2005 he was the inaugural winner of "The Blake Medal" for leadership contribution to New Zealand.

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