Auckland, New Zealand, October 2025 – Fonterra Cooperative Group, the world’s largest exporter of dairy products and a global leader in dairy innovation, has announced the appointment of Suliana Mailangi as Director, People & Culture Operations. In her new role, Suliana will lead the cooperative’s people operations and organizational culture strategy, ensuring alignment between business performance, workforce capability, and Fonterra’s values-driven leadership ethos across its global network.
Suliana Mailangi brings more than 15 years of experience in human resources, change leadership, and organizational transformation across New Zealand’s manufacturing and industrial sectors. She has been part of Fonterra for over two years, previously serving as General Manager, People & Culture – New Zealand Manufacturing, where she played a pivotal role in shaping people strategy for Fonterra’s large-scale manufacturing operations. Her leadership helped strengthen workforce capability, engagement, and transformation initiatives across the cooperative’s production sites.
Before joining Fonterra, Suliana served as Head of People, Change and Communications at Winstone Wallboards Ltd (GIB®), where she successfully led the end-to-end change management for New Zealand’s largest capital investment in manufacturing — a $400 million project. She oversaw transformation from board business case to commissioning and cultural integration, cementing her reputation as a leader in large-scale organizational change.
Earlier, she spent several years with Fletcher Building, holding progressive leadership positions including Head of People & Performance, Head of HR and Change Management at FANALCO Ltd (a joint venture between Fletcher Aluminium and National Aluminium Ltd), and Organisational Design & Change Manager for Fletcher Building Corporate & Shared Services. In these roles, she guided multiple transformation programs, mergers, and joint ventures, driving integration, leadership development, and culture alignment across diversified business units.
Suliana began her HR career as National Human Resources Manager with Fletcher Construction and Brian Perry Civil, where she built deep expertise in employee relations, leadership development, and operational HR management. Her career reflects a consistent trajectory of driving organizational excellence through people strategy, change management, and strong stakeholder partnerships.
About Fonterra
Fonterra Cooperative Group is a global dairy nutrition company owned by around 9,000 New Zealand farmers and recognized as the world’s largest exporter of dairy products. The company is a trusted partner to some of the world’s leading food brands and operates in over 40 countries, delivering high-quality, sustainable dairy solutions that nourish millions of people every day. With a commitment to innovation, sustainability, and excellence, Fonterra continues to lead the way in global dairy science and customer collaboration.
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