Quorn names new CEO

David Flochel whose experience boasts a number of international leadership roles for food and drink giants such as Mars Drinks at Mars Inc., Selecta Group, and Heineken UK, will be joining Quorn next month as its CEO, Marco Betacca, steps down.

Betacca has led the business since January 2020, navigating it through turbulent times for the sector, from the pandemic, to inflation, to a cost-of-living crisis.

More recently, his tenure has seen the launch of the Marlow Ingredients division and the company’s foodservice arm, QuornPro, strike up a partnership with the NHS to help drive uptake of meat alternatives – this includes hybrid options as well as 100% meat-free products.     

“I would like to extend a huge thanks to the entire team for all the incredible things we’ve achieved in the five years I have been with the business,”​ he said. “Despite the challenges with overall growth in the last few years, we have improved Quorn retail market share, achieved yearly growth in our Foodservice & QSR business, and launched the new Marlow Ingredients business unit. It’s been a huge privilege and honour to have played a part in accelerating Quorn’s mission to tackle climate change through great tasting, sustainable food.”​

Commenting on Flochel’s appointment, Betacca added that he knows “Quorn is in good hands”.​

“David is bringing an incredible depth of knowledge and experience into the company, and we are already working closely together to ensure a smooth transition,” ​he said.

Flochel will step up to the role of CEO in November, moving across from his position at consumer health company Haelon, which recently confirmed the completion of its sale to Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories SA, a wholly owned subsidiary of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Limited, a global pharmaceutical company from India.

The news of this leadership shuffle follows the manufacturer’s recent £63m per-tax loss, which was largely attributed to administrative expenses and selling and distribution costs.​​

Revenue also saw a drop for the business, declining 6.9% between 2022-2023 due to a lack of appetite in the meat-free retail category in the UK and US, encouraged by the cost-of-living crisis.

Despite this, Circana data shows that its brands Quorn and Cauldron have a strong foothold in the UK’s meat free market, accounting for a third of the category’s value.

Speaking on this new role, Flochel added that while Quorn Foods has had a “strong history of success” ​the next year will comprise a “reset”​ for the company.

“This is a brilliant opportunity to transform the business into the next stage of its journey and I am delighted to be taking on this new role. I believe that with the right focus and execution we can turn around the company and current category performance,”​ he added.

In other news, Müller's acquisition of Yew Tree Dairy​​ has been cleared following an investigation by the CMA.