Arla Meals Elements CEO Henrik Andersen is about to step down as CEO ‘to discover a brand new profession path’ however will take into account remaining a part of the board of the dairy co-op. Changing him on the helm of the elements division is the present vice-president industrial Luis Cubel, who has been at AFI since 2002 and can start his new function on February 1, 2024.
Andersen has been a part of Arla Meals since 1994 however has chosen to ‘dedicate the approaching years to work on various tasks and discover alternatives to function a board member’, Arla stated in an announcement.
“I’ve been a part of a incredible improvement in AFI for a few years, and really feel happy with what we have now achieved working collectively,” stated Andersen. “It has been a journey of discovering and delivering highly effective diet, and I proceed to see nice potential for sustainable progress. We now have come a great distance with our Strategy26 implementation and shortly we’ll start work to craft our subsequent technique – subsequently I feel it’s a good time for me to maneuver on, and let a brand new management take cost of this course of.“
Andersen has served because the subsidiary’s CEO since 2010, overseeing AFI’s improvement in an more and more aggressive market. AFI’s preliminary technique relied on using the co-op’s personal whey, by later forging sourcing agreements with different Danish suppliers and dairies in Norway and Sweden and eventually to a worldwide growth into Argentina in 2001 and a JV with Germany’s largest dairy co-operative DMK.
Cubel’s ties with Arla Meals Elements return to 2002, together with positions as a common supervisor in Germany for 3 years till AFI was separated from Arla as a separate subsidiary.
On moving into his new function, he commented: “I’m honoured to have been appointed as the subsequent CEO of AFI; A corporation, I’ve been proud to serve over the last 20 years. Henrik leaves AFI in a really robust place to proceed our progress ambitions, and I’ve actually loved working with Henrik over time. I’m trying ahead, along with the AFI group, to constructing on these robust foundations and taking AFI to the subsequent stage.”
HSBC head of agrifoods named RABDF president
Allan Wilkinson has been appointed as the brand new president of the Royal Affiliation of British Dairy Farmers. Wilkinson – who’s a dairy farmer’s son hailing from North Yorkshire – is succeeding Lord Ewen Cameron within the function. The brand new RABDF president sits on a number of business our bodies and is a Liveryman of The Worshipful Firm of Farmers and a Fellow of the Ryal Agricultural Societies. He’s HSBC UK’s head of agrifoods, a job he has held since 2015. He joined the Midland Financial institution’s (now a part of HSBC) agriculture group in 1988 and was made head of agriculture for HSBC in 2010.
“I’m actually humbled to be requested to assist and help the nice work of the RABDF,” Wilkinson commented. “The RABDF’s work within the business is huge and impressive. Not solely are they supporting their members and the broader business by the assorted boards and business our bodies they sit on, however their formidable and extremely profitable occasions programme is paramount in serving to to advertise data sharing and connectivity within the dairy sector.”
Graham Wilkinson to hitch AHDB as CEO
Former Arla Meals govt Graham Wilkinson will be a part of the Agriculture and Horticulture Growth Board (AHDB) as CEO.
Throughout his time at Arla, working in each international and UK-based roles, Wilkinson has supported over 8,500 cooperative farmer house owners and managed the supply of economic milk ideas on farm. He additionally created a European agriculture perform inside Arla, spanning seven markets and has additionally labored within the retailer-side at Tesco PLC on strengthening the sustainability of agriculture provide chains in dairy, beef, pork and poultry.
Nicholas Saphir, chair of AHDB, stated: “We’re thrilled to welcome Graham to AHDB along with his ardour for farming, his spectacular management abilities and huge business data. We consider he’s the perfect candidate to steer AHDB into the subsequent thrilling part of our progress, placing levy payers on the coronary heart of our work and maximising the influence of the work we do. Thanks to Arla for supporting a easy transition.”
Dairy alternate options producer Daiya Meals declares new CEO
A former director on the US-based plant-based dairy producer, Hajime Fujita has been named CEO of Daiya Meals. Fujita will lead all international operations all through North America and the model’s continued worldwide growth, the corporate stated.
Fujita has greater than 17 years of expertise in enterprise and monetary planning all through the US and APAC, having joined from Daiya’s father or mother Otsuka Prescribed drugs the place he served as vice-president, enterprise planning. He’s believed to have had an instrumental function in Daiya’s acquisition in 2017, the place he served as director of economic planning and evaluation from 2018 to 2021 earlier than assuming the function of vice-president at Otsuka America.
Along with this appointment, the board of administrators introduced two appointments that carry gross sales and advertising nearer collectively in a bid to have interaction with shoppers and speed up progress. Melanie Domer will assume a brand new function as chief industrial officer (shifting over to her new function from chief advertising officer), whereas John Kelly will function chief advertising officer, having labored as VP, shopper advertising, beforehand.
Beneo appoints new director
Elements producer Beneo has appointed Niels E. Hower as a brand new member of the chief board of administrators at Benoe GmbH, efficient instantly. Hower will probably be chargeable for Beneo’s portfolio of plant-based proteins, together with consists of Meatless, a specialised firm for plant-based texturizing options that Beneo acquired in 2022.
With an MBA in Economics and greater than 25 years of expertise within the retail, wholesale and life science sectors, Hower has held a number of senior administration roles, together with in class/product administration and operations. Previous to his new function, Hower was positioned as EVP international procurement at Fresenius Kabi. He additionally co-founded the Physician Chococo model, which launched the primary milk chocolate bar containing vitamin D and different helpful elements.
