T&G Global names new chief executive, chief operating officer to lead next phase of growth

Thursday 29th March 2018

T&G Global named a new chief executive and chief operating officer to lead the fruit marketer, and said the acting chief executive will step down at the end of this month.

Gareth Edgecombe has been appointed chief executive following the departure of Alastair Hulbert in December. Acting chief executive Thomas Bargetzi will step down on March 31 for family-related reasons, the Auckland-based company said in a statement.

Edgecombe is currently head of The Comfort Group, which makes Sleepyhead beds, and was previously Asia-Pacific regional president for the Campbell Soup Company and South Pacific president for the Coca-Cola Company. He began his career in New Zealand with Coca-Cola Amatil in sales and marketing and was general manager of Puhoi Valley Cheese. He also served on the board of the Australian Food and Grocery Council. His starting date is yet to be confirmed.

Peter Landon-Lane was appointed chief operating officer and will be acting chief executive from April 16, until Edgecombe starts. He is currently chief executive of Plant & Food Research Ltd. where he led the merger of the Crop and Food Research Institute and HortResearch Institutes.

Landon-Lane has significant operational experience gained with dairy giant Fonterra Cooperative Group and previously led Fonterra’s businesses in Europe and Japan as well as sales and operations planning for Fonterra’s global cheese and protein business. He began his career with the New Zealand Department of Trade and Industry where he spent time as Trade Commissioner in the Philippines and Beijing. He also served on the Advisory Board of the New Zealand China Council and is also a former Chairman of Science New Zealand.

T&G chair Klaus Josef Lutz, who is chief executive of T&G's cornerstone shareholder BayWa, said Edgecombe would lead the company through the next phase of growth with a strong customer focus supported by global brands, and noted Landon-Lane had a deep understanding of the horticultural sector and experience of T&G Global’s apple plant variety rights including Jazz, Envy and Pacific Rose.

“We are sure that with the addition of Gareth and Peter to the executive team, T&G Global will reach its full potential with BayWa’s support and continued investment,” Lutz said.

T&G shares, of which BayWa owns 74 percent, last traded at $3.20 and have dropped 8.6 percent over the past year.

(BusinessDesk)

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