Industry titans join board of directors - Macphie

CAPTION: (L to R) Alastair Macphie, Norman Soutar and Jane Stewart

We are delighted to welcome two leading figures from the world of food and business to our board.

Norman Soutar and Jane Stewart join the team as Non-Executive Directors, bringing with them a wealth of leadership and industry expertise.

With more than 29 years’ experience in the food sector, Soutar’s latest venture saw him managing the William Jackson Food Group as Chief Executive where he more than tripled the company’s revenue and oversaw a number of business disposals and acquisitions.

As part of his 14 years at the food group, he helped family-favourite brand Aunt Bessie’s build its brand reputation for helping make complicated recipes and techniques more user-friendly -something we’re very passionate about ourselves!

Soutar, said: “To be part of the evolution and growth of a food industry leader like Macphie is something that I am very much looking forward to.

“One of the firm’s core aims is to make life easier for chefs and bakers and this is something I can wholeheartedly get behind.

“During my time at William Jackson Food Group, I worked with the Managing Directors and their leadership teams to help them create value over the long term, going that extra step beyond group strategy support.

“I hope that I can bring the knowledge and skills that I have gained throughout my 29 years in the industry to help Macphie on the next phase of its expansion plan.”

Having recently completed a £4m refit of our Tannochside factory in Uddingston, we have also made a significant investment in our sweet sauce range, with the launch of five new product lines.

Soutar added: “Macphie continues to grow from strength to strength. Being a great fan of B Corp, I am delighted to be working with a firm that is so passionate about sustainability and environmental performance, having been one of the first businesses in Scotland to achieve this status in 2015.

“With many more significant business developments in the pipeline, it’s great to be on this exciting journey with them.”

Jane Stewart has over 25 years’ experience in industry, private equity investment and corporate finance and brings extensive experience of helping innovative businesses to grow.

Jane holds a number of Non-Executive positions in high growth companies, including Edinburgh-based waste tech firm, Topolytics, and Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. She has recently been recognised by Innovate UK as one of the UK’s leading ‘Women in Innovation’.

Stewart, said: “It’s an honour to be named as one of Macphie’s new Non-Exec Directors. The food firm has delivered impressive accomplishments to date, underpinned by a genuine commitment to sustainability and community impact.

“Macphie has a strong presence both locally and globally and I am excited to bring another perspective to help the team to capitalise on forthcoming opportunities and to deliver their major plans for the future.”

Alastair Macphie, Chairman of Macphie, said: “Both Jane and Norman bring a suite of extensive business acumen and useful insights to their new roles at Macphie.

“Their invaluable experience and passion for the business will be a great benefit towards driving improved performance and growth across the board.”