New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra has announced the appointment of Guy Cowan to the position of chief financial officer, effective 1 March.

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


Cowan, 53, is currently vice president of finance and chief financial officer for Shell Oil Company in the US. He is also a director of Shell Petroleum Incorporated, the holding company for Shell’s US interests, and a member of the Shell Oil Leadership Team. Previously, Cowan, who has been employed by Shell for the last 23 years, held a number of finance positions in the company’s Latin American, European, African and Australian operating units.


Announcing the appointment, Fonterra’s chief executive officer Andrew Ferrier said Cowan was an experienced senior financial executive, with a strong track record across a wide range of business disciplines relevant to Fonterra.

Just Food Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Food Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Winning five categories in the 2025 Just Food Excellence Awards, Centric Software is setting the pace for digital transformation in food and FMCG. Explore how its integrated PLM and PXM suite delivers faster launches, smarter compliance and data-driven growth for complex, multi-channel product portfolios.

Discover the Impact