Keraplast names Tony Rayner to lead nutraceuticals and personal care

Keraplast has appointed Tony Rayner as general manager for its Nutraceuticals & Personal Care business, tapping a commercial leader with more than 20 years of experience across food, dairy, beverage and ingredients. The move is aimed at supporting global growth and expanding the New Zealand biotechnology company's market presence.

Why it matters: - Keraplast is adding a senior commercial leader as it pushes to grow its Nutraceuticals & Personal Care business globally. - The appointment is meant to strengthen customer relationships and accelerate commercial performance in a key part of the company's portfolio. - Keraplast develops protein-derived technologies and ingredients used in nutraceutical, personal care, healthcare and medical device applications.

What happened: - Keraplast appointed Tony Rayner as general manager for Nutraceuticals & Personal Care. - Rayner brings more than two decades of commercial leadership experience across the food, dairy, beverage and ingredients sectors. - Rayner has held leadership roles at Westland Milk Products, Asahi New Zealand, Bell Tea & Coffee, Heinz Wattie's and Goodman Fielder. - Most recently, Rayner led the Ingredients business at Westland Milk Products. - The appointment was announced in Christchurch, New Zealand, on July 23, 2026.

The details: - Keraplast said Rayner has a track record of growing businesses, developing strategic partnerships and leading high-performing teams. - In his most recent role at Westland Milk Products, Rayner was responsible for driving growth through strategic customer partnerships and market development initiatives. - Rayner will lead the commercial strategy and performance of Keraplast's Nutraceuticals & Personal Care business. - Rayner will work with the Executive Leadership Team to drive sustainable growth, strengthen customer relationships and support the company's strategic objectives. - Howard Moore, Keraplast's chief executive officer, said Rayner's commercial experience and understanding of ingredient businesses make him a strong fit for the role. - Keraplast included a LinkedIn link for the company: Keraplast on LinkedIn.

Between the lines: - The hire signals Keraplast wants deeper commercial execution, not just technical product development, in a business tied to health and personal care markets. - Bringing in a leader from ingredients and consumer-facing food businesses suggests Keraplast is leaning on broader market and partnership experience to scale. - The focus on strategic customer partnerships points to a growth model built around B2B relationships and market development rather than mass-market branding.

What's next: - Rayner is expected to focus on revenue growth, customer retention and market expansion in Keraplast's Nutraceuticals & Personal Care unit. - The company is likely to use the new leadership to advance its global growth plans and commercial objectives. - Keraplast will continue to market its biotechnology and protein-derived ingredient offerings across nutraceutical, personal care, healthcare and medical device segments.**