Tatua Co-operative's Stephen Allen to Retire After Three Decades

Stephen Allen will retire from his position as chairman of Tatua Co-operative after a 30-year affiliation with the company. Allen initially joined the board in 1996, became deputy chair in 1997, and succeeded Sir Alan Frampton as chairman in 2003. During his tenure, Allen played a pivotal role in steering Tatua through the deregulation of New Zealand's dairy sector in the early 2000s, a period when Tatua chose to remain an independent co-operative while others consolidated to form Fonterra.

Throughout his leadership, Allen collaborated with three chief executives: Dr. Michael Matthews, Paul McGilvary, and the current CEO, Brendhan Greaney. Together, they implemented strategies focused on product innovation, capital allocation, sustainable growth, and maximizing returns for supplier-shareholders. These efforts solidified Tatua's reputation as one of New Zealand's most profitable and resilient dairy co-operatives.

By focusing on high-value specialty ingredients and consumer dairy products, rather than expanding volume for its own sake, Tatua consistently delivered industry-leading milk payout returns to its Waikato farming shareholders.