Queens Birthday Honours for Institute Adjunct Professor

Adjunct Professor of the Riddet Institute at Massey University and Fonterra Chief Science & Technology Officer Jeremy Hill, has been appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to the dairy industry and scientific research in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list 2020.

Professor Hill has worked for Fonterra and its predecessor companies for over 30 years, the last 13 as Fonterra’s Chief Science & Technology Officer. With a PhD in biochemistry, Professor Hill has published over 100 papers in a wide range of subjects from dairy processing technology to medical research. He is an Honorary Research Fellow and Adjunct Professor, Sustainable Nutrition at the Riddet Institute & Massey University and member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Dairy Technology. Professor Hill is an inventor on numerous patents covering different aspects of dairy science, technology, health and nutrition some of which were used to establish The A2 Milk Company with a current market capitalisation of over $14 billion.

He has supervised various Master and PhD students and is a past member of the board responsible for overseeing the New Zealand Dairy Industry Postgraduate Training Programme with Massey University. He is a former Chair of the Industrial Advisory Board, Massey University School of Engineering and Advanced Technology and was a member of the Advisory Board of the University of Auckland Postgraduate Dairy School.

Between 2012-2016 he served as President and Chairman of the Board of the International Dairy Federation (IDF), the Brussels headquartered peak body for the global dairy sector. He is the only New Zealander to do so in the 115-year history of the Federation. In October 2016, on behalf of the global dairy sector, he co-signed the Dairy Declaration of Rotterdam with the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations recognising the critical role of dairy in sustainable development.

Commenting on his appointment Professor Hill said “I am truly honoured to be recognised in this way, but it is also recognition for the many talented people I have had the opportunity to work with over the years. There are too many to name but a huge thank you to Mrs Sharon Mitchell for her dedication and support over the last seventeen years. This honour is also recognition for the enormous support I have received from my parents and my wife Vivienne.”

Professor Hill is also a past Director of the Global Dairy Platform and Governor of the Dairy Sustainability Framework. He chaired the Framework’s Advisory Board composed of diverse expertise from senior leaders from the Food and Agricultural Organisation of the United Nations, American Humane Society, supermarket chains, global banks, and representative of international civil society organizations. Professor Hill is currently President of IDF NZ, Chair of the IDF NZ National Committee, sits on the Board of the Pastoral Greenhouse Gas Research Consortium and the Industry Advisory Panel to the High Value Nutrition National Science Challenge.