Having joined the food and drink giant in 1980, Kendrick has spent a long and varied career in a number of roles in the UK and overseas.
She has served as chairman since 2012 and was chief executive for the business between 2012 and 2017, a role now filled by Stefano Agostini since July last year. From 2015 to 2016, Kendrick was also president of the Food and Drink Federation.
Awarded damehood
Kendrick was awarded a damehood in the 2015 New Year’s honours list for services to the food and drink industry and received an honorary doctorate later that year from Sheffield Hallam University for promoting skills development and collaborations between academia and business.
Commenting on her departure from Nestlé UK, Kendrick said: “I have had an amazing career over the past 40 years and worked with extraordinary people who share my passion for the food and drink industry.
“Now it is time for me to do something else while maintaining my interest in skills and young people. For me, the future is about continuing to be involved in the things I love, while finding more time to enjoy my wonderful family and, in particular, my beautiful grandsons.”
Food and Drink Sector Council
Kendrick will continue to sit on the Food and Drink Sector Council and plans to continue chairing a new University for engineers in Hereford. She will also remain on the Institute of Apprenticeships board and work on the Advisory Council for PricewaterhouseCoopers.
Nestlé Zone Europe, Middle East and North Africa chief executive Marco Settembri added : “On behalf of everybody at Nestlé, I thank Dame Fiona for her tireless work and vision throughout a wonderful career and wish her very well for the future.”