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British Sugar and DS Smith announce senior appointments
New MD at British Sugar
British Sugar has appointed former head of 2 Sisters’ meal solutions division Keith Packer as its new managing director.
He takes over from Mark Bainbridge, who has been ion the post at interim manging director since February 2023.
Packer boasts an impressive history within the food and drink manufacturing industry, having previously served as chief executive of Typho Tea and has held a number of key commercial roles within Britvic, Allied Bakeries and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare.
Commenting on his appointment, Packer said: “I’m excited to get started at the heart of the UK beet sugar sector. British Sugar is a company with a long history of producing high-quality sugar here in the UK, but we’re looking to the future – innovating on agri-tech, on decarbonisation and on minimising waste. I look forward to working with the fantastic team at British Sugar and with our growers, customers and stakeholders across the industry.”
ABF Sugar chief executive Paul Kenward welcomed Packer to the group and the wealth of experience he will bring to the role.
“I look forward to working with him over the coming months to champion homegrown sugar and deliver on our commitments to our team and our growers, our customers and the environment,” Kenward added.
New UK & Ireland boss at DS Smith
This past week also saw the appointment of Paul Clarke as managing director of packaging manufacturer DS Smith’s UK and Ireland division.
Formerly operations director for the packaging division, Clarke has spent the past six years with the business, having joined in June 2017 as innovation, transformation and integration director for the Paper & Recycling Division.
Prior to his time at DS Smith, Clarke held a number of senior positions at Smurfit Kappa, most recently as managing director for recycling in the UK and Ireland.
His new role will see him work to improve collaboration within DS Smith, with a major focus on the innovation, design and research teams while building strong relationships with customers with their bespoke packaging development.
Commenting on his appointment, Clarke said: “We have a highly engaged community of talented employees within DS Smith; my priority first and foremost is to ensure we continue to build a healthy, safe and inclusive environment for all. Our people are our best asset; together we have had to be more resilient than ever in recent years as we help our customers navigate a challenging economic environment.
“Our focus is firmly on innovating packaging solutions that will support both current customers and consumers as well as pave the path ahead for future generations.
“We need to close the loop through better design, protect the environment by making the most of every fibre, and reduce waste and resources through circular appointments and careful strategic delivery of each and every new product.”
