Melbourne-based Mr Lavery confirmed this week he had resigned as chairman after two years in the position, one of three directors to resign as dominant shareholder Nutritek Overseas PTE exerted its authority.
Mr Lavery said it was "no great drama".
"We've been talking for some time how Nutritek wants to take it forward. It's no big drama, I'm quite happy with life."
The other directors to resign were fellow Victorian John McMahon, and Edwin Mulgrew from Waitoa.
According to the New Zealand Companies office, that left just George Dawson from Auckland and Russian Oleg Ochinskiy on the board, but it was understood four others would soon be named.
Mr Lavery said Nutritek wanted the dairy company to focus on consumer goods and his experience was with commodity dairy products. He said the new board would reflect Nutritek's strategy.
Mr Lavery was brought in two years ago to unite a disparate board and gain support from dairy farmers, and he achieved that as well as securing funding from Nutritek to breach a serious financial shortfall that threatened construction of the Studholme factory.
He achieved that too, and the milk powder plant was now coming to the end of its second year of operation.
"We got the thing established, it's running and we have good management there now. I leave quite happy that we have achieved what we set out to achieve."
Nutritek owns 82% of the 34 million shares on offer, with the other shareholders, each with two million shares, listed as Hapuka Trustees Ltd from Te Awamutu, Leeuwenhoeve Investments NZ Ltd from Te Aroha, and Keith Oliver Disprose, also from Te Aroha.
