First Milk new Board structure now in place

(from right to left) Mike Gallacher (Chief Executive), Brian Mackie (Chief Operating Officer) and Carl Ravenhall (Non-Executive Director)
(from right to left) Mike Gallacher (Chief Executive), Brian Mackie (Chief Operating Officer) and Carl Ravenhall (Non-Executive Director)

First Milk has announced that the farmer owned co-operative has now completed the transition to a new Board structure.

This week Clive Sharpe formally assumed his role as the Chairman of First Milk, with Nigel Evans and Jim Baird being confirmed as Farmer Directors in the new Board. It was also confirmed that Nigel Evans, on stepping down as acting Chair would be appointed as Vice Chairman of the new Board.

Mike Gallacher, CEO said: “I am delighted that our transition to a smaller, restructured Board has progressed rapidly and smoothly. The new Board now combines substantial commercial experience, robust front line Dairy knowledge and also a level of continuity that will help sustain the speed of our turnaround.

“I would like to thank departing Farmer Directors Wendy Radley, Willie Campbell and Robert Craig for their dedication and valued contributions during the time that I have worked with them as Board members. Over that time we have moved fast to progress in a number of areas. We have restructured teams across the business, cut costs, addressed quality and agreed and established a new Board and Governance structure.

At the same time we have taken steps to reshape First Milk around our core Cheese and Liquid business by selling our Glenfield Dairy subsidiary and exiting the Westbury Dairies joint venture. The business has returned to trading profit and before Christmas we completed refinancing the business.

“The progress we have made means we can now focus on improving relative milk price returns over the next financial year that starts in April. In simple terms we are on track but need to now move even faster, faced as we are with incredibly tough market conditions and aware of the impact that is having on our members.”

First Milk’s new Board structure:

• Chairman - Clive Sharpe

Current chairman of Peters Foods, former chairman of Quorn Foods and Burtons Biscuits, former non-executive director of Duerr’s jams and Tangerine Confectionery, and former CEO of WT Foods, Golden Wonder and Homepride Foods

• Vice Chairman - Nigel Evans

Dairy farmer from West Wales who is also a director of a number of European businesses

• CEO - Mike Gallacher

Former UK Managing Director for Mars and previously Managing Director / Vice President of a number of businesses in Asia and Europe

• COO - Brian Mackie

Range of CFO roles in a number of large businesses; Starbev/Molson Coors Europe, Maxxium Worldwide, Cott Corporation

• Farmer Director - Jim Baird

Dairy farmer from Central Scotland who is also a Nuffield scholar/MBA, a director of NFU Mutual and board member of AHDB

• Non-Executive Director - Carl Ravenhall

Former MD of Müller Wiseman Dairies, Milk Link & Adams Foods)