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New Ice Cream Alliance president announced
The Ice Cream Alliance - the trade body for the UK's £1bn ($1.24bn) ice cream industry - has appointed Maggie Rush as its new President.
Rush, a director of York based Graham's Ices Ltd has worked in the ice cream business for more than 30 years.
"It's going to be an interesting year as the path towards Brexit unfolds. We will be keeping an eye on potential changes to food regulations and legislation and lobbying Government to ensure regulations are in place that protect the quality and integrity of ice cream," said Rush.
Graham's Ices was founded by her husband in 1974 and now has five ice cream vans providing a mixture of street trading and event services.
Shelagh Hancock to take over as First Milk CEO
First Milk has announced Mike Gallacher is to step down as CEO and will be succeeded by Shelagh Hancock.
Over the last two years Gallacher led a transformation of First Milk, focusing on its core business in cheese and liquid contracts and divesting subsidiaries.
Hancock has more than 25 years experience in the food and agricultural supply sectors. Most recently she held the roles of managing director and business development director at Medina Dairy. Prior to this, she held senior executive positions at the farmer-owned co-operative Milk Link including milk business unit director and membership director.
Prior to Milk Link, Hancock worked for Glanbia progressing through a range of senior management and leadership positions across various business functions.
John Spark becomes Murray Goulburn chairman
Murray Goulburn Co-operative Co. Limited (MG) has appointed John Spark as chairman with effect from April 1, 2017.
Spark was previously a director of Ridley Corporation from 2008 until 2015 and served as chairman from 2010.
Since 2007 he has been a non-executive director and chair of the audit and risk committee at Newcrest Mining Limited. He also previously served on the boards of ANL, Baxter Group Ltd and MacArthur Coal Ltd.
Spark replaces Philip Tracy, who retires March 31, 2017.
New CEO for Beston in China
Australia’s Beston Global Food Company Limited (BFC) has announced the appointment of Bai Yong (‘Bastian’) as chief executive officer of BFC (China), which is the operating company of Beston Global Foods in China.
Bastian Bai was previously a senior director with Wal-Mart China and has more than 20 years of experience in the supermarket and food service industries in China.
Bai joined Wal-Mart (China) in 2005 and became merchandising manager for the Northern Region of Wal-Mart in China with responsibility for all fresh food purchases in the region (which included the cities of Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei).
During his time with Wal-Mart, Bai also served as an adviser to Lotte Mart in China, a chain of supermarkets owned by the Lotte Group from South Korea.
He will assume responsibility for all of the marketing and sales activities of BFC (China) across the company’s four offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Dalian and Fuzhou.
Benjamin Ding will retain responsibility for the corporate and administrative operations of the company in China as managing director and vice president, BFC (China).
Kruise appointed managing director of FrieslandCampina Germany
Jan Kruise will become managing director FrieslandCampina Germany from April 1, 2017.
Kruise has more than 25 years of experience in consumer goods. His most recent position was director business unit North Europe at Lavazza, in the UK.
He started his career at Unilever and spent more than 13 years in commercial roles in the Netherlands and Russia. Kruise subsequently joined H.J. Heinz, later The Kraft Heinz Company, where he worked in Sweden as general manager Nordics, in Germany as managing director Central, North & East Europe, and in the UK as managing director UK & Ireland.
Kruise succeeds Peter Weltevreden, who will focus on cross-organisational projects within FrieslandCampina Consumer Products Europe Middle East & Africa.
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New head of Kerry Group in France
Jérôme Mazaud has been appointed general manager France for Kerry Group’s EMEA region.
DairyReporter caught up with Mazaud at the CFIA (Carrefour des Fournisseurs de l’Industrie Agroalimentaire) food processing expo at ParcExpo in Rennes earlier this month to talk about his appointment, and Kerry's growth in Europe – see the video below.