Jim van der Poel

First elected October 2014, re-elected October 2023, next election October 2026.

DairyNZ chairman Jim van der Poel was elected onto the Fonterra board in 2002 and stepped down in 2014. Jim also served on the board of New Zealand Co-operative Dairies Ltd.

In 2000, Jim was appointed to the foundation board of DairyNZ’s predecessor organisation, Dexcel, and was elected as Dexcel’s chairman in 2003. Jim was a farmer-elected director on DairyNZ’s first board in 2007 and stepped down in 2009. He was re-elected to the DairyNZ board in 2013.

Previously, Jim was an inaugural director on the Fonterra Shareholders Fund and has won a number of industry awards including the AC Cameron Award, 2002 Nuffield Scholarship, Sharemilker of the Year and Dairy Exporter Primary Performer Award.

Jim and his wife Sue live in Ngahinapouri in the Waikato and have farming interests in Waikato, Southland, Canterbury and the United States.