NZ Hops Ltd has announced the departure of its CEO after two and a half years in the position.

In a short statement, the grower cooperative advised that Craig Orr has resigned and is moving on to focus on new business interests.

“During this time, Craig has led significant change for the organisation, now with a strong focus on being a customer-facing business. He has also refreshed the master NZ Hops brand and launched Nectaron® – the rock star new variety taking the world by storm,” the statement read.

“He leaves the co-op with a great team and new relationships established in key markets with distributors and partners.”

Finance manager Nick Eden and supply and operations manager Dave Woods will be assuming key leadership accountabilities through the transition period until a new CEO is appointed.

Orr oversaw a significant rebrand for NZ Hops with increased focus on building relationships with North American markets, as well as partnering with Bintani to distribute its hops in Australia.