Lactalis Appoints David Breckenridge to Lead Australian Operations

Lactalis has brought its Australian operations together with the Mainland Dairy consumer business that it acquired from Fonterra earlier this year. The company said the move combines the Lactalis Australia and Lactalis-Mainland Dairy Australia teams under a single leadership structure.

The Mainland Dairy business includes the former Fonterra Brands operations in New Zealand. Its portfolio includes Anchor Milk, Anchor Butter and Mainland Cheese. The integration therefore brings those brands into the group of businesses being led through Lactalis Australia.

David Breckenridge has been appointed chief executive officer of Lactalis Australia. He previously served as Fonterra’s head of Oceania. In his new role, he will lead the combined organisation through its next phase, building on work carried out across both businesses and on their employees, brands and customer relationships.

Alban Damour, general manager of Lactalis’s Asia Oceania Africa Zone, described Australia as an important market for the group. He said the revised leadership arrangement reflected Lactalis’s confidence in the direction of its business. Bringing the Australian operations under one leader, he added, would create a more aligned organisation with the scale and capability to pursue long-term sustainable growth.

Damour also cited Breckenridge’s industry experience, relationships and leadership record. He said those attributes positioned Breckenridge to oversee the business’s next period of growth and integration. Lactalis said the appointment marked an important stage in the development of its Australian dairy operations.

Breckenridge said the role would allow him to build on the capabilities and experience present in both organisations. He identified the businesses’ brands, employees and customer partnerships as a foundation for further growth. He said significant progress had already been made and that his focus would be on continuing that work, finding new opportunities and creating value for customers, consumers, farmers and employees.

Breckenridge also said he was looking forward to working with teams across Australia as the company develops what he called a stronger Lactalis business.