Trade association Dairy UK has announced Chief Executive of Glanbia Cheese, Paul Vernon as its new chairman.
Mr Vernon has been elected to succeed Dr David Dobbin, at the Dairy UK Annual General Meeting held this week.
Mr Vernon, who has worked with Glanbia for 22 years, said it is a "huge privilege" to be elected chairman of an organisation that puts itself at the "forefront" of representing the interests of one of the "nation’s greatest industries".
He said: "I can make one firm commitment without any hesitation, and that is that Dairy UK will spare no effort in fighting for the interests of dairy. We have massive challenges ahead of us, particularly in relation to Brexit, so there has never been a more important time to remind government and decision-makers of the relevance and importance of dairy.
"Whilst Brexit might dominate the political landscape, we mustn’t forget there’s still work to do across a whole range of other key issues facing the industry, such as protecting and promoting the nutritional benefits of dairy foods.
"These are extraordinary times, but where there is challenge there is also opportunity. We must ensure our industry works to create an environment conducive to these new opportunities."
Dairy UK is the trade association for the British dairy supply chain. It brings together processors, dairy co-operatives, manufacturers, farmers and bottled milk buyers throughout the United Kingdom.
Between them, Dairy UK's members collect and process about 85% of UK milk production.
