Jan Derck van Karnebeek Appointed Chair of Global Dairy Platform
On April 28, 2026, the Global Dairy Platform (GDP) announced the appointment of Jan Derck van Karnebeek, the CEO of Royal FrieslandCampina, as the new chair of its board of directors. He takes over from Miles Hurrell, CEO of Fonterra Co-operative Group, who is retiring. Van Karnebeek has been leading Royal FrieslandCampina, a major dairy cooperative based in the Netherlands, since 2023. The cooperative boasts approximately 14,000 member dairy farmers and has a presence in 30 countries with products sold in over 100 countries worldwide.
Van Karnebeek expressed his commitment to continuing the work of strengthening the global dairy sector. He emphasized the importance of dealing with current global challenges of providing healthy, affordable, and sustainable food. As chair of GDP, van Karnebeek aims to further unite dairy companies across borders.
The Global Dairy Platform, a not-for-profit association, represents the dairy sector globally, involving over 95 corporations, scientific bodies, and associations. These members collectively produce about one-third of the world's milk, with operations spanning more than 150 countries.
Richard Allen is set to replace Hurrell as CEO of Fonterra Co-operative Group on May 1, 2026. Other prominent members of the GDP board include leaders from Dairy Farmers of America, Arla Foods, and Morinaga Milk Industry, among others.
Additionally, van Karnebeek serves as co-chair of OP2B, an international business coalition focused on biodiversity in agriculture, under the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
