The company announced yesterday that Mr Surveyor would leave by the end of April next year to return home to Australia and the board would begin the search for his replacement.
In a statement, chairman Murray Taggart said he had "regrettably" accepted Mr Surveyor’s resignation.
However, the board understood his desire to pursue other opportunities.
Mr Surveyor joined Alliance Group at a challenging period for the company and the industry. He set out a transformation strategy to build a stronger co-operative focused on maximising operational efficiency and capturing more market, Mr Taggart said.
"Alliance Group has now returned to a position of strength with increasing revenue and profitability, a strong balance sheet and a record safety performance.
"Pleasingly, we have also seen an increase in shareholder numbers and growth in our brands and premium products.
"David has demonstrated strong leadership and personal dedication for the benefit of our farmer-shareholders and the Alliance team. I sincerely thank David for his tremendous contribution throughout his tenure," he said.
Welsh-born and raised in Australia, Mr Surveyor was a newcomer to the red meat industry when he joined Alliance Group.
He previously held roles in Australia with BHP, starting in sales and marketing, and picked up manufacturing, finance, HR and supply chain skills, after which he worked for Bluescope Steel in Malaysia.
Before the Alliance Group appointment, he was executive general manager of Laminex, a subsidiary of Fletcher Building, for four years, based in Melbourne.
At the time of his appointment, Mr Surveyor said he was attracted to the Alliance Group role because, coupled with the opportunity to make a difference, he had always been interested in the agricultural food space.
In the statement, Mr Surveyor said he had thoroughly enjoyed his time with the company and was sad to be leaving, but the time was right for him and his family.
"I feel positive knowing I leave with the co-operative in a much stronger position. I'm proud of the way our team has worked together to deliver our strategy and I would like to thank the board for the support over the past eight years.
"What is important now is the future and getting results for New Zealand farmers. Alliance has an exciting future as it continues its transformation with the next generation of leadership," he said.
Last month, Mr Surveyor told farmers attending an Alliance Group roadshow meeting that the co-operative had a record profit performance for the year ending September 30 and shareholders would get a profit distribution and bonus share issue this year.
