My biggest influence: Henry van der Heyden

Fonterra chairman Henry van der Heyden names former industry leader Sir James Graham as one of his early mentors.

It was a 1990 meeting with Graham - who was Dairy Board chairman between 1982 and 1989 - that started van der Heyden on the path from Waikato farmer to the head of New Zealand's dairy giant.

Graham told van der Heyden that he and his family had got a lot out of dairying and it was time to put something back in.

Van der Heyden took the words to heart and, two years later, was elected to the board of the Dairy Group co-operative.

For everyday motivation, van der Heyden says he needs look no further than the Fonterra boardroom. "The commitment of my fellow directors to see Fonterra lead in dairy, and the skills they bring to bear to achieve this goal, is really inspirational."