Dairy boss rises to the top at SA agribusiness giant
A top 10 SA company that employs close to 3000 people is seeing its high-profile CEO retire in October after 12 years at the top. Elders names its new big cheese today with a more than million-dollar salary.
A top executive at New Zealand dairy giant Fonterra Group – with brands like Bega, Mainland and Western Star – will take the top role at South Australia’s leading agribusiness Elders, succeeding Mark Allison, who has been at the company’s helm for 12 years.
René Dedoncker is taking on the Elders CEO from October 1 after a global search. Allison will continue to lead the company, ranked at ninth place in InDaily’s South Australian Business Index 2025, in the interim.
The new CEO has extensive experience in the dairy and food space, having most recently spent about 20 years at Fonterra.
There, he held several senior executive roles, including most recently as CEO of cheese brand Mainland Group. Prior to Fonterra, Dedoncker held senior management roles at confectionery business Mars Corporation.
As part of the appointment, he will relocate to Adelaide and will be based at the company’s Grenfell Street office – with a base remuneration of $1.15 million per annum, plus incentives.
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Allison’s succession plans have been a long time in the making. The current CEO, who took up the position in April 2014, having previously served as the company’s chair, announced in November 2022 that he would retire.
But in June 2023, the company announced that following a comprehensive domestic and international search, Allison agreed to continue in the role.
Today, Allison said now was the “right time to hand over the leadership of Elders”.
“The board has chosen a strong successor in René who has my full support and endorsement,” he said.
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“We have worked to position Elders for long-term success and I’m confident René will further that momentum.”
Newly appointed Elders chair Glenn Davis said Allison was an “outstanding, values-driven leader of Elders” of the business that employs around 3000 people and supports farmers with crop and livestock management, real estate deals, supplies and financial services.
“First as a non-executive director and now over more than a decade as managing director and CEO, Mark has steered the company through significant industry cycles and ensured Elders’ continued growth and resilience,” Davis said.
“Mark oversaw the development and implementation of strategic plans that returned the company to a pureplay agribusiness and, in 2017, resumption of dividends after an eight-year hiatus.
Davis welcomed Dedoncker as the company’s next CEO.
“He brings deep agricultural roots and outstanding leadership experience to Elders,” he said.
“He has proven expertise from his years with Fonterra and Mars, where he drove operational excellence and strategic growth on a global scale.
Dedoncker said he was honoured to lead Elders: “An iconic name with a proud history in Australian agriculture” saying he would work with the Elders team to drive its next stage of growth.
Elders earnings and profits both rose in the last financial year to $143.5 million and $50.3 million, respectively.
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