Leading NZ businessman Craig Norgate has died in the UK. He was 50.

Craig Norgate in 2007, when he was director of PGG Wrightson Limited and Managing Director of Rural Portfolio Investments Limited.

Craig Norgate in 2001, when he was CEO of Fonterra Co-Operative Group.

Fonterra Chief Executive Craig Norgate speaks to shareholders in 2002 at Mystery Creek in Hamilton.

The ex-chief executive of Fonterra, Craig Norgate, has died in the UK at the age of 50.

Jordan Norgate, speaking from London, said his father died on Tuesday morning London time (Tuesday evening NZ time).

"My mother Jane, sister Alexandria and brother Dylan and I loved him very much, he had a heart of gold and he will be dearly missed," Jordan Norgate said.

Andy Jackson Businessman Craig Norgate has died.

A spokesperson for John Key said the Prime Minister was saddened to hear of Norgate's death.



"He was a strong member of our business community and will be remembered for his passion for the agricultural sector and leadership in the industry."



"My thoughts are with his family and friends at this time."

Craig Norgate is best known as former chief executive of Fonterra from 2001 to 2003.

Fonterra chairman John Wilson said: "It's deeply upsetting to hear of Craig's passing and our thoughts go out to his wife Jane, and children Dylan, Alexandria and Jordan.

"Craig played a key role in the formation of Fonterra and made a significant contribution to the Co-operative as our first CEO, helping bring together key players in the New Zealand dairy industry with the strategic vision he was known for. He remained a close and trusted friend and mentor to many of our people.



"Craig was a proud and passionate New Zealander who made a huge contribution to this country. He will be greatly missed."

Norgate's most recent job has been leading the transformation of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand following the merger of the two premier accounting bodies in the two countries.

He was chief executive of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants for a year from the end of 2012 before taking on the merger role.

Chartered accountants Australia and New Zealand's chief executive Lee White said Norgate was a passionate advocate of change.

"I had the pleasure to be Craig's friend and colleague through the last few years as we created Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

"... I very much enjoyed learning and working with him as we created our new vision. He was dedicated to the members and determined to exceed their expectations.

"Craig had an outstanding career and, notwithstanding the heights of that career, he still remained firmly of the belief he was a boy from the 'Naki."

After Fonterra, Norgate was head of PGG Wrightson for six years.

Born in Hawera in 1965, he focused his career on the dairy industry after leaving school.

After studying at Massey University he moved to Hastings and took up his first management role at the Department of Maori Affairs at age 21.

He was there a year before returning to Taranaki with meat company Lowe Walker in 1987. He rose through the ranks quickly and then worked for a subsidiary of the Dairy Board, the Lactose Company, becoming CFO within six months.

He then took over as general manager of Kiwi Dairy, a role his father had held with the company. He stayed for 10 years, with the company's turnover growing from $285 million to $4.4 billion before the creation of the dairy giant Fonterra in 2001.

Norgate was a former director of the New Zealand Rugby Football Union, from 2000 to 2002, and was co-opted onto the Taranaki Rugby Football Union in 2004, serving for 10 years until Taranaki shifted allegiance to the Chiefs in late 2013.

He was an investor and director in the Chiefs. He also joined the board of the Taranaki Investment Management Ltd and Van Dieman's land company in 2014.

John Roadley, the first chairman of Fonterra, said the news of Norgate's death came as a great shock.

Roadley, who is now retired in Blenheim, worked with Norgate who was Fonterra's first chief executive.

Before that Norgate was the chief executive of Taranaki's Kiwi Dairy Company and an enthusiast for the formation of a large national dairy group.

Roadley at the time was a rival and involved with the other big dairy co-op, Waikato's Dairy Group, which came together with Kiwi Dairy Company to form Fonterra.

"He was a highly intelligent guy who made a fairly big contribution. He was controversial and he upset people - a lot of people - from time to time, but he was pretty smart and I had a lot of time for him," Roadley said.

"He made a big contribution to the dairy industry during his time. He was very, very young for a role of that magnitude."

'Big loss for Taranaki'

He was also deputy chairman of the Port Taranaki board.

Port Taranaki chief executive Guy Roper said the news was "very sad" and it was "a big loss for the port and Taranaki."

Norgate was a very strategic thinker with great foresight, Roper said.

"He was ahead of his time. He achieved a lot of things at a very young age. He was always challenging and making sure a business was on its game and performance driven."

Norgate was a proud Taranaki man and huge rugby fan and had recently been in New Plymouth for the Chiefs games against the Hurricanes.

"He told me he had tickets to 19 [rugby] World Cup games. He was a great believer in the All Blacks and wanted to see them beat the English on home soil."

Roper said Norgate's "great sense of humour" would also be missed.

Taranaki Investment Management Limited (Timl) chief executive Mike Trousselot said Norgate had made a great contribution to both Timl and the Tasman Farms boards in the year he'd been involved.

"He had an unwavering love of Taranaki and brought a strategic view point. He had immense value because of his knowledge of the agricultural sector, at an individual business level as well," Trousselot said.

"Our thoughts are with his family at this time."

Norgate would be remembered for his positive approach to life, Trousselot said.

"He always rose to a challenge and it usually involved a laugh and a joke. You could guarantee you'd have a good night out when you went with Craig."

Many New Zealanders took to Facebook and Twitter to express condolences and shock at the death.

Among them, Kevin Murphy, chief executive of TSB Bank and NZICA vice-president said "Craig wore his heart on his sleeve. A passionate Naki man, he has gone way too soon. RIP".