The board of the Australian Food and Grocery Council (AFGC) has announced the election of John Doumani as the new chair of AFGC, the united voice of Australia’s A$102 billion food and grocery manufacturing sector.

Doumani is managing director of Fonterra Australia/New Zealand and takes up the position following the retirement of former chairman Geoff Starr, who served on AFGC’s board for nearly five years.

Doumani said “Australia’s food and grocery sector is the country’s largest manufacturing sector. Maintaining our competitiveness and our ongoing commitment to being a good, active, corporate citizen will be pivotal to ensuring ongoing profitable growth.”

AFGC chief executive Kate Carnell said: “With the serious challenges facing the food and grocery manufacturing industry, including rising imports, flat exports, increasing costs, and pressure on margins, it was vital to have a leader of Doumani’s calibre.

“It’s great to have someone with so much knowledge and vitality who will help industry take up these important challenges and to work with government to develop a national food and grocery agenda,” Carnell said.

“For the past four years, John has been an active AFGC board member. With more than 30 years’ experience in international business and consumer brands with leading companies including Campbell Soup Company, Johnson & Johnson, Meadow Lea and most recently Fonterra, he will be a great leader for AFGC.”