The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

New Zealand-based wine producer Foley Wines has announced that its chief executive officer and director, Mark Turnbull, is stepping down.

Turnbull stepped down as a director on 17 February 2025, following the company’s announcement of his resignation on 13 February. He will step down from his CEO role on 30 April 2025.

The winemaker announced this week that Mike Higgins – who joined the Foley New Zealand Group as CEO for Foley Hospitality, New Zealand in December 2024 – has been appointed as interim CEO with immediate effect.

Outgoing CEO Turnbull joined Foley Family Wines New Zealand in April 2012, and has been a CEO and director since September 2012 following the merger of that company with the New Zealand Wine Company, which was renamed to Foley Wines.

Paul Brock, chair of Foley Wines, thanked Turnbull for his contribution to the company’s success, acknowledging that the company had made ‘significant progress’ in furthering its mission under his leadership.

“Mark leaves the company in a strong position to navigate the continuing challenges facing the New Zealand wine industry, and the board thank him for this and wish him all the best for the future,” Brock commented.

Reflecting on his journey within the wine industry, Turnbull said that the sector is “far more complicated than it seems; foremost you are a farmer which creates challenges in itself”.

He commented: “However, what I know about the farming community in this country is that they are made up of good people with strong values that are passionate about the land and the environment and their communities. We have a small but hugely talented team, many have been with me for the journey from the start and something I will always be proud of. The results will be released in the next few weeks which will show a strong growth in export cases of 35%, so the company is well placed for the future.”

Higgins comes from a finance and operations background. Prior to working with Foley, Higgins served as the chief commercial officer of Auckland FC, helping to launch the club and leading its commercial partnership drive in the club’s inaugural season. He also spent 23 years at advertising group Clemenger, where he was most recently COO, overseeing ten marketing and media agencies.

Brock said that Higgins’ significant commercial experience with growth businesses in New Zealand will “add real value to our customers and our people”. Higgins will work with Turnbull on the transition, and will play a key role in leading the continued success of the group, he added.