Mr Morrison replaces Matt O’Regan, who announced his impending resignation in November last year after seven years in the role.
Westland, New Zealand’s second-largest dairy co-operative, has been in the spotlight recently after a poor financial performance.
Last month, redundancies were signalled as the company undertook a further review of staff roles.
In a statement yesterday, Mr Morrison acknowledged Westland had performed poorly in the previous financial year and its payout was, then, below the break-even line for shareholders and less than competitive compared with those of other companies.
However, the payout was "on the way back up again" and while it would take more than one season to get back to a more competitive position, he was confident in the co-operative’s future.
New chief executive Toni Brendish was "very strong and capable", backed by a very able team.
"The right people are there with the skills and dedication to get the job done and the board is now putting the right governance structures in place to ensure we have a company with an exciting future. Westland will provide shareholders with a competitive and sustainable payout," he said.
While Westland was going through a period of change, it was having to make some "tough calls" to ensure its structure and systems were right for growing the company’s future. The full benefits of that work would not be fully realised this season.
"It will be the 2017-18 season before we have got our payout back to where shareholders need it to be but shareholders will be rewarded for their patience and ongoing support," he said.
Mr Morrison has been a Westland shareholder since the creation of the co-operative in 2001, supplying milk from properties in Canterbury and the West Coast. He was elected to the board in 2015.
He has owned various companies, mainly in agriculture but also including gold-mining, manufacturing, forestry, aviation and a mechanical workshop, and been a director for computer company EStar Online, which facilitates online sales for such companies as Briscoes and Country Road.
