The a2 Milk Company has announced Race Strauss as its new chief financial officer (CFO). Current CFO Craig Louttit, will be stepping back from the role to spend more time with his young family. He will stay with the company as deputy CFO.
Managing director and CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka, said: “Craig has been an outstanding member of our senior leadership team for many years and has been instrumental in the company achieving the results it has over recent years. Craig has been such a strong support for me, and I am very pleased that we have been able to solve for Craig’s personal priorities while keeping him in a senior position in the business.
Strauss will be joining the company in the second half of FY20. He has been the CFO for Qantas Airlines.
A2 said: “Strauss is an extremely experienced finance executive with a strong packaged goods background as well as very relevant international experience, particularly in China and other Asian regions. He has proven his ability to build and grow businesses across a diverse range of sectors and geographies both organically and via acquisition.”
Prior to that he spent 20 years with Unilever in a number of “relevant and senior” roles including, “Unilever’s ice cream business in China, senior finance and strategy roles in South East Asia and Australasia and Unilever’s Global Mergers and Acquisition team based in the UK. Race also played a pivotal role during the high growth transformation at Jetstar, where he held the position of the Chief Financial Officer for five years,” a2’s statement said.
Hrdlicka said: “I am delighted that we have filled the CFO role with someone of Race Strauss’ calibre and experience as we continue our growth journey.”
The company acknowledged Louttit’s “outstanding contribution” since he joined the company in April 2014. During that time a2 has become dual listed in Australia (in 2015) and into the ASX 100.
For Louttit, the extensive travel demands of a public company CFO role and a young family were not compatible. “I am delighted that I am able to continue to be a key part of the team, but without the extensive travel demands of the public company CFO role. I am looking forward to working closely with Race as we continue to develop our thinking and execution as a company firmly focused on its next stage of growth.”
