Ronnie Bell
Chairman
Ronnie Bell was appointed as Milk Link Chairman in September 2005. Previous to this he spent his 30-year executive career with Kraft Foods, Inc., the world's second largest food company. During his career, he gained extensive experience in international brand development and distribution. Following a series of international marketing and business development roles, he assumed his first country general management role, for the UK and Republic of Ireland, in 1990. He then widened his responsibilities geographically to include 16 European countries, overseeing Kraft's pan-European expansion of key brands. Ronnie retired from his positions as executive vice president Kraft Foods, Inc., and president of Kraft Foods European Union region, at the end of 2003. He was a Director of Gallaher Group Plc 2004-7 and is currently a Director of Northern Foods Plc, Ansell Ltd and The Edrington Group.
Peter Winstone
Vice Chairman
Peter Winstone is in partnership on a 180-hectare family-run farm in Somerset. Former Chair of the Milk Link Council, Peter was first elected onto the Board in October 2000. He is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, the Remuneration and Nominations Committee, the Communications Committee and is also a Board Director of The Cheese Company Holdings Limited.
Neil Kennedy
Chief Executive
Neil joined Milk Link in 2004 as Managing Director of The Cheese Company, moving to Managing Director of the Group’s consumer division, Beverages and Cheese incorporating Milk Link Beverages and The Cheese Company. He was subsequently responsible for the transformation of Milk Link’s Consumer division into a highly profitable and growth orientated business. Neil has over 25 years' experience in a number of leading dairy and FMCG companies both in sales and marketing roles and as Managing Director. This includes being Sales & Marketing Director for both St Ivel Provisions and St Ivel Foods Europe; Development Director for Unigate and Managing Director of St Ivel Spreads and Tom’s Confectionery Limited.
Nairn Glen
Group Finance Director
Nairn Glen joined Milk Link at its inception in 1999 as a Non-executive Director. His experience spans 26 years in senior financial roles with Safeway, as Finance Director of Safeway Stores and Director of Corporate Finance for Safeway plc. Nairn was key to Milk Link's ability to raise the finance needed to follow its acquisition strategy. He accepted the full-time position of Group Finance Director in 2004 and is also a Member of the Strategic Planning Committee and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.
Johnnie Russell
Farmer Elected Director
Johnnie Russell was elected as a Farmer Director in March 2006. Johnnie has managed a family-owned dairy and beef farm in Dorset for over 20 years and has been a Milk Link Member since its formation. He is a chartered accountant and has over 30 years’ senior level experience in UK and international Corporate Banking and currently runs the UK wholesale lending operations of ING, the major European bank. Johnnie is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee, the Remuneration and Nominations Committee and the Communications Committee.
David Christensen
Farmer Elected Director
David Christensen is a partner in Christensen Partners, a family business renting 1,100 acres in Oxfordshire, milking 600 cows and with another 400 cattle being reared at any one time.
Robert Ranson
Farmer Elected Director
Robert Ranson has been a Director of a successful 310-hectare family farm in Surrey since 1968 and for the last 14 years has also been involved in agricultural consultancy. Robert is a member of the Audit Committee.
Simon Banfield
Farmer Elected Director
Simon Banfield is a partner on a 220-hectare owner occupied and tenanted mixed farm running dairy (160 cows), beef, cereals and leisure. Prior to his Board appointment he represented East Dorset on the Milk Link Council and is also a former SW NFU Regional Chairman. Simon chairs the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and is also a member of the Remuneration and Nominations Committee.
Chris Page
Non-executive Director
Chris Page was appointed a Non-executive Director of Milk Link in June 2003. With a wealth of experience in the food industry, he enjoyed an impressive career at Mars Inc. where he held a number of Board-level sales and marketing roles within the UK and Europe. Chris chairs the Audit Committee, is a member of the Strategic Planning Committee and was also appointed as Chairman of The Cheese Company Holdings Limited in September 2005. In addition to his role with Milk Link, Chris is also a Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of McCurrach Group Ltd – one of the largest field marketing providers in the UK; and Non-executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee of S&A FOODS Group Ltd – one of the largest manufacturers of chilled ready meals in the UK.
Karen Young
Company Secretary
Karen Young is a chartered accountant with fifteen years' experience in the dairy industry. She has been Group Company Secretary at Milk Link since its incorporation in 1999 and was instrumental in the company's successful establishment, managing its constitutional change and implementing its new capital structure. Karen is a member of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and Chair of Trustees of The Cheese Company Pension Scheme.
Senior Management Roles
Shelagh Hancock
Milk, Trading and Membership Director
Shelagh joined Milk Link from Glanbia plc in 2004 following the acquisition of The Cheese Company and as Trading Director managed the sales & marketing for the Ingredients Division. Following the business re-organisation in 2008 Shelagh was appointed as Milk, Trading and Membership Director with responsibility for milk purchasing and commodity sales. Having trained and begun her career in the field of animal nutrition Shelagh has over 20 years experience in agricultural supply and food businesses holding a range of positions across technical, marketing and commercial functions.
Hamish Renton
Marketing Director
After senior buying roles at Argos, Hamish joined Tesco and became Head of Own Brand, Health & Diet, with responsibility for 19,000 Tesco products. Hamish joined pan-European foods manufacturer Uniq plc in 2005 as Managing Director of its Devon based desserts business in Paignton, securing record investment for the site from its parent company. Hamish joined Milk Link in October 2008 in the new position of Marketing Director, picking up Category Management, Innovation and Product Development and Consumer Marketing. He holds a first degree from Cambridge, a Masters of Business Administration (MBA) from Henley Management College and numerous business qualifications.
Mark Robertson
Operations Director
Mark has over 30 years' experience in the dairy / food industry. He held a number of management posts at the Lockerbie creamery both under Grand Met and Glanbia. Mark then developed the Glanbia Foodservice business to a position where it was fit for sale, returning to Lockerbie as General Manager for Lockerbie, Oswestry and Melton before becoming Manufacturing Director covering all of the sites. Following Milk Link’s acquisition of The Cheese Company, Mark was appointed to his current role of Operations Director covering all Milk Link’s cheese and milk sites.
Will Sanderson
Corporate Affairs Director
Will Sanderson joined Milk Link in 2004 having had over 14 years’ experience in public relations and has an extensive track record in advising on the development of corporate communications and reputation management strategies. This includes overseeing the development of corporate and business-to-business programmes for high-profile multi-national companies, major brands and a number of government departments and agencies. Will is a member of the Communications Committee and Corporate Social Responsibility Committee.
Tim Smiddy
Deputy Group Finance Director
Tim has spent the whole of his career in the dairy industry, firstly with Dairygold in Ireland and subsequently with Glanbia. He held a number of financial roles with Avonmore Foods, which merged with Waterford Foods to form Glanbia in 1997. Between 2001 and 2004, Tim was General Manager of the cheese cutting and packing plant at Oswestry and then Supply Chain Director before being appointed Finance Director of The Cheese Company in 2005. Tim was promoted to his present role in 2008 and has responsibility for all financial reporting and planning in the Group. Tim is a Chartered Management Accountant and has an MBA from Manchester Business School.
Terry Ward
Commercial Director
Terry Ward joined The Cheese Company in July 2005 as Commercial Director before being appointed Commercial Director later that year for Milk Link’s consumer division - he joined the Executive team in October 2008. This role encompasses overseeing all sales and customer marketing, as well as Exports. Terry has over 28 years' experience working in a number of blue chip FMCG companies such as Mars, Coca-Cola and Premier Brands, primarily in sales and marketing roles, latterly at Director level. He has recently been Managing Director of Paynes Ltd, then a Division of Northern Foods, and Findus Ltd.
David Williams
Corporate Finance DirectorDavid qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1990 and held a number of senior financial posts with Milk Marque including Finance Director of Milk Marque Developments. David joined Milk Link at its inception, initially as Chief Financial Officer, responsible for all Group accounting before taking up his present position as Corporate Finance Director, responsible for delivering the Group’s strategic and corporate development objectives.
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