Allan Burns, former executive director of Diageo Scotland, has been appointed chairman of Scotland Food & Drink, the new leadership organisation which aims to harness the collective resources of one of Scotland's most successful sectors to create an industry worth £10bn by 2017.
Scotland Food & Drink, which will be led by industry, brings together for the first time the many different agencies and industry groups currently operating within the food and drink sector in order to direct their resources towards common goals.
Burns will be responsible for ensuring that Scotland’s food and drink industry strategy continues to deliver. He will make sure that the industry harnesses the investment, knowledge, expertise and activities needed to achieve even bigger ambitions and help Scotland become internationally known as the land of food and drink.
Initial priorities include building a strong and distinctive identity for food and drink in Scotland and co-ordinating collaboration that will result in the creation of profitable, world-class supply chains.
David Kilshaw, who has chaired the public and private sector working group that has been leading the development of Scotland Food & Drink, has been appointed vice-chairman.