Of the 16 companies and CEOs that satisfied the qualifying criteria for the award, seven achieved positive or marginal TSRs. Among them, one leader stood out.

Under Miles’ leadership, Fonterra has delivered a significant turnaround in performance. The business has been simplified, de-levered, and reshaped with a clear focus on profitability and strategic clarity. Recent cost-out initiatives and a more focused operating model are yielding results, while meaningful asset sales and capital management have driven substantial debt reduction and returns to shareholders.

The judges praised Miles for his transparent, accountable and performance-driven leadership. He has brought stability and a strong culture of accountability to the organisation during a period of strategic transformation. His ability to engage closely with a diverse set of stakeholders has helped rebuild alignment and trust across the business.

Although currently overseas, Miles was represented by Matt Bolger, Managing Director of Co-operative Affairs, who accepted the award on his behalf.

Miles joins an esteemed list of past recipients including Todd Hunter (Turners Automotive), Lewis Gradon (Fisher & Paykel Healthcare), David Mair (Skellerup Holdings), Darrin Grafton (Serko), Andy Borland (Scales Corporation), and others.

Thank you to our judging panel for their time, insight and judgement.

And thank you to the wider Johnson Partners team for their continued commitment to recognising and appointing exceptional leaders who deliver meaningful impact.