A global perspective on sustainable development
Auckland-based Alex Worker, a Global Dairy Trade Event Manager for Fonterra, has a truly international background. Born in Hong Kong, he spent periods of his childhood growing up in China, Fiji, Hong Kong, Argentina and New Zealand. “Witnessing the handover of Hong Kong from Britain back to China in 1997 is a vivid memory and experience I have as a young boy”, he says.
Throughout his extensive academic and professional career Alex has certainly made the most of his global experience with particular focus on links between the regions of Asia, the Pacific and South America. “My future career goals involve growing the New Zealand private sector’s role as trusted intermediary in the emerging trade route between Asia and Latin America,” Alex says.
Photo: Alex Worker on a trip to India
Alex studied International Business and Spanish at the University of Otago, completing his Bachelor of Commerce while on exchange at the Universidad Torcuato Di Tella in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was during this time that he saw first-hand the abundant opportunities awaiting investors in the Southern Cone region of South America.
This insight led him to complete an Honours year at the University of Auckland Business School in which he wrote a paper tracking Kiwi agricultural investment abroad, focusing on larger players Fonterra, PGG Wrightson, and NZFSU.
Subsequently he gained a place in the Fonterra business graduate programme in early 2009, which set him on the track to his current role, managing the fortnightly auction events with the vision of growing the platform into an international physical exchange for commodity dairy products.
Travel is one of Alex’s passions - he has particularly enjoyed his trips to India, China, Argentina, Colombia, and the US. In his spare time he also likes surfing, skiing, squash, soccer, photography, movies and music concerts and spending time with friends. Simon Worker, also a member of the Asia:NZ Young Leaders Network, is Alex’s brother and Alex plans to visit him soon in China where Simon is currently studying Mandarin and where their father also lives.
Alex plans to live in China long-term in order to become fluent in Mandarin. “I see Mandarin, along with English and Spanish, as the three crucial communicative keys to the world of business in the present and near future”.
He is very enthusiastic about meeting other members of the network, learning from others as well as contributing his own knowledge. “Fonterra is allowing me to build a global perspective on the sustainable development and growth of dairy as a commodity and value add ingredient”. He envisages Fonterra to continue as the trusted global partner/supplier of dairy commodities and ingredients from a global supply base spread across New Zealand, the Americas and Asia.
Alex continues, “this revolves around protecting Kiwi IP, sustainable practices, building trusting relationships in-market that are focused on the long term, and having a bunch of talented Kiwi business people with excellent cross-cultural understanding and ability to make this all happen. The latter point particularly is addressed by the practices of the Asia New Zealand Foundation which is a great sign of forward steps being made.”
