Dieter Adam, a senior executive with experience in a broad range of international and national commercial and scientific organisations, has been appointed Chief Executive of the New Zealand Manufacturers and Exporters Association (NZMEA).

Announcing the appointment, NZMEA President Tom Thomson said Dieter has a solid record of performance and leadership especially in the areas of international business development and innovation management.

“He comes to us from New Zealand Trade and Enterprise (NZTE) where he worked with a large number of New Zealand’s leading food and beverage exporters, as well as manufacturers in the agritech sector, helping them grow their export businesses. This experience gave him a unique oversight of different approaches to international business development.”

With a Ph.D. in plant biotechnology and having held research positions in Germany and Denmark, Dieter Adam arrived in New Zealand from Germany in 1986 to take up an academic position at the University of Waikato. He joined the commercial world in 1994 and has held senior management positions in the primary industry (Rayonier New Zealand, Livestock Improvement Corporation), as well as his own consultancy business.

“Dieter’s experience covers senior executive and governance roles in the manufacturing and service sectors combined with business-to-business and business-to-consumer relationships, both internationally and in New Zealand.

“His time with NZTE allowed him to build valuable relationships with government agencies charged with implementing the Government’s Business Growth Agenda,” Tom Thomson said.

Dieter Adam said he is looking forward to joining the NZMEA at a time when there are significant opportunities and challenges for New Zealand’s manufacturing and exporting sector.