Fonterra Expands RPO and Consulting Services Relationship With Futurestep

LOS ANGELES, March 23, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

Futurestep, a Korn/Ferry company (NYSE: KFY), today announced that it has been re-engaged by Fonterra, the world's largest dairy exporter and New Zealand's largest employer, to provide Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) and consulting services over the next five years commencing April 1st.

The new contract marks the continuation of a long-standing relationship with Futurestep and Fonterra. For six years Futurestep has partnered with Fonterra to leverage the talent acquisition capability needed to manage the company's evolving needs.

In the engagement, Futurestep will provide strategic sourcing for permanent and fixed term roles to up to the level of mid-senior management. Delivering services in New Zealand and Australia, Futurestep is expecting to hire over 2,000 placements per year. Services cover all critical elements of Fonterra's recruiting effort, including: internal candidate management, project recruitment, graduate and employee referral program management, as well as management of its recruiting technology.

"While our talent acquisition needs are constantly evolving, Futurestep's consistent, effective and transparent recruitment process provides Fonterra with the flexibility and responsiveness to address those needs," said Katrina Ritchie of Fonterra. "It is a strategic advantage that has served Fonterra well since the initial RPO implementation and is one that will continue to deliver benefits well into the future."

"The ability to attract, deploy, develop and reward the right talent is critical in today's global marketplace," said Futurestep CEO Byrne Mulrooney. "As an industry leader and a co-operative owned by New Zealand farmers, Fonterra understands that success relies on the skills, passion and experience of its 17,000 employees who work across a broad spectrum of roles around the world. Futurestep continues to be a perfect fit for Fonterra, delivering strategic, innovative and cost-effective solutions that ensure Fonterra the right talent to drive success and growth."

Over the past decade, Futurestep has gained recognition as a top company in the outsourced recruitment and RPO industry. Recently, the Black Book of Outsourcing recognized Futurestep for its customer satisfaction ratings, and Futurestep was named on the HRO Today RPO Baker's Dozen list of top enterprise providers and top global providers in 2008, 2009, and 2010.

About Fonterra

Fonterra is a global leader in dairy nutrition - the preferred supplier of dairy ingredients to many of the world's leading food companies. Fonterra is also a market leader with our own consumer dairy brands in Australia/New Zealand, Asia/Africa, Middle East and Latin America. The farmer-owned New Zealand co-operative is the largest processor of milk in the world, producing more than two million tonnes of dairy ingredients, value added dairy ingredients, specialty ingredients and consumer products every year. Drawing on generations of dairy expertise, Fonterra is one of the largest investors in dairy based research and innovation in the world. Our 16,000 staff work across the dairy spectrum from advising farmers on sustainable farming and milk production, to ensuring we live up to exacting quality standards and delivering every day on our customer promise in more than 100 markets around the world.

About Futurestep

Futurestep is a Korn/Ferry Company and a leading global talent acquisition solutions provider, helping companies build and implement strategies for improving their talent acquisition operations. Key areas of focus include Talent Acquisition Consulting, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Project-based Recruitment and Mid-Level Recruitment. With operations on four continents, Futurestep provides the experience and expertise to address the most pressing talent acquisition challenges facing companies today. To learn more, visit futurestep.com.

About Korn/Ferry International

Korn/Ferry International, with a presence throughout the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, is a premier global provider of talent management solutions. Based in Los Angeles, the firm delivers an array of solutions that help clients to attract, deploy, develop and reward their talent. Visit www.kornferry.com for more information on the Korn/Ferry International family of companies, and www.kornferryinstitute.com for thought leadership, intellectual property and research.