April 30, 2026
Alex Turnbull took up the role of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Yili’s Oceania companies in New Zealand in February this year after an illustrious career spanning more than three decades across global dairy and food businesses.
In his new role as CEO Yili Oceania, he heads Westland Milk Products, Oceania Dairy, Canary, EasiYo and Pure Nutrition, reporting to the Director of Yili’s Oceania companies in New Zealand, Zhiqiang Li.
Relationships high priority for CEO heading Yili’s Oceania companies in New Zealand
Just two months into his new role as Chief Executive Officer of Yili’s Oceania companies in New Zealand, Alex Turnbull is looking forward to getting out and about to meet with farmers and employees at the companies’ sites, and customers.
He was most recently Chief Executive of Manuka Health and previously held senior executive and board roles at Fonterra, including Managing Director for Latin America, along with other leadership positions across global ingredients, nutrition and consumer businesses.
In his own words Alex introduces himself and answers the following questions:
What is your background?
I grew up in New Zealand with a strong connection to rural communities, which is where my interest in dairy began. My career has been built across global dairy and food businesses, spanning ingredients, consumer and food service solutions across international markets.
What has shaped me most is working at the intersection of farming, processing, and customers — understanding that success in dairy comes from aligning all three.
I joined Yili because it is one of the few companies globally with the ambition, scale, and capability to win internationally in dairy — and I see a real opportunity to unlock more value from Oceania.
As you step into the CEO role, what has stood out to you most about Yili Oceania and the people behind it so far?
Three things.
First, the absolute un-negotiable Yili commitment to Quality in everything we do and produce.
Second, the quality of the asset base — strong milk supply, good manufacturing footprint, and access to one of the largest dairy markets in the world through Yili.
Third, the people — there is deep capability and pride in the business.
What is your biggest priority in 2026?
Delivering sustainable profitability and steadfast protection of our quality, and safety of our people.
That means being very clear about where we create value — and equally, where we don’t. We need to move the portfolio toward higher-value applications and channels, improve asset utilisation, and maintain a disciplined cost base.
If we get that right, everything else follows – engaged teams, committed farmers, reinvestment, strong long-term growth and delighted customers and partners who are on this journey with us.
How would you describe your leadership style, and how do you see that supporting teams across farming, operations, and commercial areas of the business?
Clear, direct, open and accountable with a deep commitment to deliver on what we promise.
I believe in setting a small number of priorities, making sure everyone understands them, and then empowering teams to execute with excellence — but with real accountability for outcomes.
I also believe in being visible and close to the business — whether that’s farmers, our sites, or customers. In dairy, you cannot lead from a distance.
The dairy sector continues to operate in a variable and often uncertain environment — what do you see as most important for the business to stay focused on through this period?
Control what we can control.
We can’t control global prices or volatility, but we can control our product mix, our costs, our customer choices, and how well we execute.
Businesses that try to chase the market tend to lose. Businesses that stay disciplined on strategy and execution tend to win over time.
From your early conversations, what do you believe matters most right now to our customers and to our farmer suppliers?
For customers (both internal and external): quality, reliability, responsiveness and increasingly, functional value — not just commodity supply.
For farmers: a competitive and sustainable milk price, and confidence that their milk is being used in the highest-value way possible.
Our job is to connect those two — turning great milk into products that command a premium.
Our farmers are the core of our business. How do you plan on staying close to them?
By being present and listening.
I intend to spend time in the regions, on farm, and with our farmer suppliers — not just through formal channels, but directly. I can’t wait for our farmer road shows in early May. Hearing from farmers I have never met, in parts of New Zealand, I have never been to!
Trust in dairy is built through consistency over time. Farmers need to see that decisions we make genuinely support long-term value for their milk.
As you look ahead, what does success look like for Yili Oceania over the coming years – and what principles will guide how the business gets there?
Success is a business that consistently delivers strong returns across cycles.
That means:
A higher-value product mix
Strong farmer loyalty and milk supply
Efficient, well-utilised assets
A reputation for quality and reliability in key markets
Importantly, it’s not about being the biggest — it’s about being one of the most consistently profitable and well-run.
When things get busy or complex, what’s one habit or principle you always come back to that helps you make good decisions?
Clarity over complexity.
When things get busy, I come back to three questions:
- What really matters?
- Where do we create real value?
- Are we executing well?
If we stay clear on those, decisions become much simpler.
Finally, what message would you like to share with our farmers, customers and partners as you begin your role as Group CEO?
We have a very strong foundation, a very committed parent in Yili — and now we need to execute – with excellence.
My commitment is that we will be disciplined, commercially focused, and transparent in how we operate.
If we make good decisions consistently, we will create value for everyone connected to the business — farmers, customers, employees, and our shareholders.
If we bring Yili’s scale and ambition with New Zealand’s straight talk, quality and pride in our communities and what we produce – we can build something exceptional.
