Richard Allen

Feeding the Future: Richard Allen Joins Unreasonable Food as a Mentor to Power Purpose-Driven Innovation in Global Food Systems

Rich is an Unreasonable Mentor. Rich was part of Unreasonable Food 2025, and has advised over 14 Unreasonable companies.

Richard was appointed President of Fonterra’s Global Ingredients business in August 2024, as the Co-op sharpened its focus on high-value ingredients and moved to divest its consumer brands. In March 2025, his remit expanded to include the Co-op’s Ingredients businesses in Greater China and Middle East Africa, aligning with Fonterra’s shift to a global, channel-led structure.

Richard leads the business end-to-end – from sourcing and manufacturing through to customer partnerships – and plays a key role in unlocking growth with some of the world’s top food, beverage and nutrition companies.

Since joining Fonterra in 2008, Richard has held senior roles across the Co-op’s global operations. His leadership of the Atlantic region delivered strong improvements across the Americas and Europe. He has also led Farm Source and its rural retail network in New Zealand, and earlier, helped transform Fonterra’s Foodservice business in Greater China.

With deep global experience and a clear strategic vision, Richard is focused on unleashing the full potential of Fonterra’s Ingredients engine.