His main goal in the role will be to restore earnings in Danish Crown’s UK business unit, and help secure and grow Tulip’s position in the market.
He starts his new role immediately, taking over from Jais Valeur, who has had day-to-day responsibility for Tulip since June 2018 concurrently with his job as group CEO of Danish Crown.
Explaining Cracknell’s appointment, Valeur said: “We’re in the throes of a major transformation in the UK and our focus has been on finding a leader who possesses in-depth knowledge of production as well as being a commercial heavyweight. I’m therefore extremely pleased to welcome Andrew on board.”
Cracknell started his career with the ABP Food Group more than 25 years ago. Having worked in both the fresh and frozen divisions, he was appointed commercial director in 2009 and became a member of the board. In 2014, he joined Noble Foods as CEO and in 2016 took up the position of managing director of the Red Meat Division within 2 Sisters Food Group.
Cracknell said: “I am delighted to be joining Tulip and the Danish Crown family at such a key time. With so much uncertainty in the market both domestically and globally, I believe Tulip is strategically positioned to grow. The high degree of vertical integration, from farm through abattoir and processing to great quality products, will deliver short, secure and sustainable supply chains that are vital in today’s marketplace.
“There is a lot to do and I am confident that by working together with our colleagues, our customers and suppliers we can succeed in building a sustainable future for the business.”