Additional reporting: Matthew Jones
Turners & Growers (T&G) has issued a brief response toEurofruit's exclusive reportthat the company's chief executive Geoff Hipkins is set to leave the company.
In the statement, published via the New Zealand Exchange website late on Wednesday, NZ time, the company’s deputy chairman Sir John Anderson said Hipkins 'currently remains' with the group.
However, Anderson made no specific reference to Eurofruit's claim that Hipkins would be leaving the group shortly, nor did he mention the alleged incident in Berlin which is said to have prompted the breakdown in relations between the director and the T&G board.
Crucially, T&G has made no move to offer Hipkins its full public support, as it did late last year following rumours of discontent among board members.
'In accordance with its listing rule obligations, should this position change at any future date, Turners & Growers Limited would announce this to the market,' Anderson said.
Earlier this week, Fruitnet reported T&G were negotiating an exit package with Hipkins, following an alleged breakdown in his working relationship with members of the group's senior management team.
Hipkins was appointed chief executive in April last year, after German shareholder BayWa acquired a controlling stake in the company.
He recently led a radical restructuring at T&G, which saw the dismissal of 13 members of the company’s management team.
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