REG - Hilton Food Grp Plc - Directorate Change – Group Chief Executive Officer

Hilton FoodAnnouncement

05/04/2023 07:15

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RNS Number : 3846V  Hilton Food Group PLC  05 April 2023

5(th) April 2023

Hilton Food Group plc ("Hilton Foods" or "Group")

 

Directorate Change - Group Chief Executive Officer

 

Hilton Food Group plc is pleased to announce the appointment of Steve Murrells
CBE as Group Chief Executive Officer. Steve will assume this role from 3 July
2023, and will join the Group Board at the same time.

 

Steve will succeed Philip Heffer, who has decided to stand down from the Board
and step back from running the company after almost 30 years with Hilton
Foods, including the past five years as Group CEO. Philip will support Steve
as he assumes the CEO position and will ensure a smooth handover of
responsibilities. Philip will remain with the business as Co-Founder and
Advisor to the Hilton Foods Board.

 

Steve's connection to the business dates back almost 30 years, when he was one
of Hilton Foods' first customers and commercial partners at Tesco. After
serving as CEO of Tulip Ltd from 2009 to 2012, Steve was appointed as CEO of
Co-op Food, where he oversaw a turnaround in performance and repositioned the
business as a leading convenience player. This was followed by five years as
Group CEO of Co-op Group, leading the business through the COVID-19 pandemic,
repositioning the Group's Insurance and Probate businesses, and growing its
online capabilities. Steve was appointed Commander of the Order of the British
Empire (CBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to the food supply
chain.

 

Robert Watson OBE, Chairman, commented:

"Following Philip Heffer's decision to stand down, we are delighted to
announce the appointment of Steve Murrells as Group CEO. Steve has an
outstanding record as a leader within the food industry, and the Board is
confident that his considerable experience will be of huge benefit to Hilton
Foods as we take the business to the next stage. On behalf of the Board, I
want to thank Philip for everything he has contributed to Hilton Foods. He has
been instrumental to the growth of the business we founded together in 1994
and I am extremely pleased that we will continue to benefit from his
experience and expertise in his new advisory role."

Philip Heffer, outgoing Group Chief Executive Officer, commented:

"After the work we've done to grow Hilton Foods and expand our commercial
model over the past five years, this is a good moment to step back from
running the business. Hilton Foods today is a major international business,
with sales and operations across Europe, Asia and the Pacific, offering a
broad range of quality products, from meat and seafood to vegan and vegetarian
products. Steve was one of our first customers in the 1990s and he has an
excellent track record within the food industry. Although I am stepping down
from the Board, I'm proud to remain a significant shareholder and I look
forward to supporting the continued growth of the business in my new role."

Steve Murrells CBE, incoming CEO, commented:

"Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, I was the Meat Category Director at Tesco
when Hilton was pioneering centrally packed meat, and the way that Philip and
the team have grown the business since then has been incredible, with fifteen
years of sensational growth. I've loved getting to know the business again
recently, and what is exciting is that there is so much still to achieve.
While Philip is stepping down, he's not stepping out of the business, and we
will really benefit from his support with customer relationships and business
development in his new role. I'm looking forward to working with Robert,
Philip and the wider team as we take Hilton Foods to the next level and become
the international food and supply chain partner of choice."

No further information is required to be disclosed under Listing Rule 9.6.13.
Steve also currently acts as an advisor to Noble Foods Ltd.

 

 

Enquiries

 

Hilton Food
Group
Tel: +44 (0) 1480 387214

Robert Watson OBE, Chairman

 

Headland
Consultancy
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7638 9571

Edward Young

Will Smith

Joanna Clark

 

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