Dr Chris Mallett

Director, RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT, FONTERRA

Dr Chris Mallett is Director, Research and Development for Fonterra Co-operative Group Ltd. He has extensive global experience in food, biotechnology and agribusiness Research & Development, and its integration with business strategy; innovation management; and the successful commercialisation of intellectual property.

A citizen of both the United Kingdom and Australia, Dr Mallett joined the New Zealand Dairy Board in April 2001 as Global Director - Group R&D. Prior to joining NZBD, Dr Mallett spent 7 years in Australia working with the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation, one of the world's largest and most diverse scientific research institutions, the Australian Prime Minister's Supermarket to Asia Council, the Victorian Premier's Food Industry Advisory Committee and the Food Science Australia Board.

Before this work in Australia, Dr Mallett had 12 years at Unilever, rising to General Manager of Development and Quality Assurance at Bird's Eye Wall's in the UK, the largest frozen food company in the world. Other positions at Unilever were as Head of Development at van den Bergh & Jurgens in Holland and in research management roles at the company's Research Division at Colworth Laboratory. While working in the UK, Dr Mallett was a member of the British Prime Minister's Deregulation Taskforce on Food, Drinks and Agriculture.

Dr Mallett was educated at Oxford University, where he earned a Doctorate in Chemistry. His acedemic career included time as a Royal Society Research Fellow at the Technical University of Vienna and as Research Fellow at the Australian National University in Canberra. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technical Science and Engineering.