Otorohanga dairy farmer Duncan Coull is the new chairman of the Fonterra Shareholders Council.
Mr Coull, who was elected unopposed, replaces Ian Brown, from Waikato, who did not stand for re election.
Mr Brown replaced Simon Couper in 2012, when Mr Couper resigned, citing his lack of comfort with some aspects of the Trading Among Farmers (TAF) scheme.
The council represents the interests and views of Fonterra suppliers to the co operative's board.
Mr Coull was first elected to the council in 2010 and has served as the council's deputy chairman for the past 12 months.
In a statement, he said he was committed to ensuring the views of Fonterra farmers were represented and their interests protected through effective monitoring and through the actions and advocacy of a strong farmers' representative.
He paid tribute to Mr Brown, saying he brought stability to the council and guided it through what was a pivotal time for the co operative.
It was important the council continued to earn the respect of farmers through its actions, Mr Coull said.
''With the volatility we face in our industry, it's important that farmers understand they have a representative body within Fonterra which, backed by the constitution, works to ensure their views are heard and their interests as owners of the co op are protected,'' he said.
Mr Coull came from a dairy farming and rural banking background and won the 2000 Taranaki Sharemilker of the Year award.
He established Rural Business Solutions in 2006 and, in 2013, Otago became the launchpad for RBS Invest's new dairy farm investment business, with the acquisition of two Clarendon properties.
