Sales Directors’ Forum (SDF)
We bring together Sales Directors with leading retail and food service figures to hear about their future plans and for a regular exchange of views and debate.
The forums are a useful way to engage with retailers less formally and are open to Sales Directors/Managers and those with a commercial interest including Export and Account Managers.
The forum is Chaired by Tony Jones, Sales Director Grocery of Tilda.
Committee purpose
The Forum keeps FDF members up to date with the strategic plans of their retail and food service customers.
- Enables suppliers to hear about the future changes in the retail and food service landscape.
- A chance to hear about other activities relating to commercial relationships including the Groceries Code of Practice.
- Opportunities to network with peers in FDF member and non member companies.
Why join?
-
Insights into the latest retail and consumer trends helping you stay up to date
-
Engage with retailers and food service customers and hear about their upcoming plans in order to boost your sales
-
Opportunity to network and share insights with other members
Committee lead
Latest updates
Don’t let your surplus stock go to waste this Bank Holiday weekend
While the nation celebrates the Jubilee, the extended Bank Holiday weekend could play havoc with forecasting and deliveries. But this doesn’t have to mean stock going to waste.
FDF affiliate member Company Shop Group offers a one-stop solution for your surplus – if you can eat it, use it or wear it, we can take it.
Not only that, but we will unlock the value from your stock by enabling you to sell or donate it, meaning you can enjoy a financial or social return; or a blend of both.
Whether it’s short-dated stock, caused by fluctuating forecasts, or product that requires some form of intervention – such as relabelling or repackaging – we can help. With over 50 years’ experience, BRC certification, and approval from every major UK retailer to redistribute own label, we make sure products are redistributed safely and compliantly. And, through our member-based stores, we also maintain the highest levels of brand integrity for you and your products.
We’re here throughout the Bank Holiday weekend, so please get in touch to find out how we can help you at surplus@companyshopgroup.co.uk. You can see our full redistribution expertise here.
FDF Sales Director Forum – RangeMe, 3 March
For our next Sales Director Forum we are pleased to be joined by Nicky Jackson, Founder & CEO of RangeMe.
RangeMe first launched in 2014 and is now used by more than 15,000 retail buyers in the UK, Benelux region, North America, and Asia Pacific. The platform enables suppliers to showcase their ranges and link with retail buyers looking to discover new products and discover new trends. Buyers from Tesco, Co-Op, Asda and now Iceland are using RangeMe’s software to source emerging products across grocery, chilled and frozen.
Join us on Thurs 3 March at 9am to learn more about how they work with retailers, their strategic plans and priorities and an update on current trends.
Committee members
| Organisation | Name | Job title |
|---|---|---|
| A & R House (BCL) Ltd | Alistair House | Director |
| A L Simpkin & Co Ltd | Karen Simpkin | Joint Managing Director |
| AB Mauri UK & Ireland | Andrew Pollard | Managing Director |
| AB World Foods Ltd. | Joanne Corry | Sales Director |
| Agrico UK Ltd | Alex Moore | Sales Manager |
| Ahmad Tea Limited | Ali Afshar | General Manager |
| Ajinomoto Foods Europe sas | Phil Platt | General Manager UK & Ireland |
| Alara | Alex Smith | Founding director |
| Antonelli Bros Ltd | Mark Antonelli | Director of Sales & Technical Support |
| apetito Ltd | Carol James | Catering Consultant |
| apetito Ltd | Ian Stone | Sales, Marketing & Development Director |
| apetito Ltd | Neil Hargreaves | Customer Experience and Development Manager |
| apetito Ltd | Richard Woodward | Head of Marketing - Wiltshire Farm Foods |
| Associated British Foods Plc | Andrew Mayhew | Managing Director |
| Associated British Foods Plc | Sarah Arrowsmith | Chief Executive - Grocery |
| Bel UK Ltd | Jon Merry | Head of Sales Development and Strategy |
| Bells of Lazonby Ltd | Josh Boydell-Smith | Head of Brand and Marketing |
| Bells of Lazonby Ltd | Michael Bell | Director |
| Bennett Opie Ltd | Christopher Opie | Managing Director |
| Bettys & Taylors of Harrogate Ltd | Matthew Huffer | Commercial Director |
| Birds Eye - Iglo Foods | Wayne Hudson | Managing Director |
| Blounce Ltd | Peter Baker | Managing Director |
| Bosse Interspice Ltd (formerly Hagesud Bosse UK Ltd) | Jensen Bosse | Director |
| Britannia Tea Co Ltd | Mohammad Beyad | Tea Director |
| British Sugar | Mark Ian Carr | Group Chief Executive |
| Britvic Plc | Steve Smith | Director of EMEA |
| Burton's Foods Ltd | Jo Harwood | Sales Director |
| Burton's Foods Ltd | Wills Jennings | Business Unit Controller |
| Calbee UK Ltd | Jon Wood | Commercial Director |
| Camstar Herbs Ltd | Edward Starke | Managing Director |
| Camstar Ingredients Ltd | Tracey Clark | Sales Director |
| Cargill PLC | Katy Quinlan | UK Quality Manager |
| Cargill PLC | Lena Patel | Key Account Team Leader |
| Cargill PLC | Mariusz Necki | Sweeteners Segment Managers |
| Cargill PLC | Viktorija Kanatova | Account Manager |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners | Debbie Gilroy | Exec Assistant |
| Coca-Cola Europacific Partners | Rebecca Dixon | Reporting & Insights Professional |
| Coca-Cola Great Britain | Jon Woods | General Manager - Great Britain & Ireland |
| Colian UK Ltd (formerly Elizabeth Shaw Ltd) | Karen Crawford | Managing Director |
| Coppola Foods Limited | Ernesto Coppola | CEO |
| Daymer Ingredients Limited | James Brace | Sales Director |
| Deans of Huntly Ltd | Bill A Dean | Managing Director |
| Dr Schaer | Bradley Grimshaw | Managing Director |
| Ella's Kitchen (Brands) Ltd | Will Howard | Sales Director |
| Farmhouse Biscuits Ltd | Gillian McIvor | Director |
| Farmhouse Biscuits Ltd | Tony Birbeck | Commercial Director |
| Ferrero UK Ltd | Jason Sutherland | UK & Ireland Sales Director |
| FR Benson & Partners Ltd. | Richard Benson | Managing Director |
| Froneri International Ltd | Ross Elsworth | IN HOME CHANNEL SALES CONTROLLER |
| Gordon Rhodes & Sons | James Rhodes | Director |
| Griffith Foods | Catherine Dearlove | Technical Sales Account Manager |
| H.J. Langdon & Co Pty Ltd | Gary Butcher | Senior Business Manager |
| Hamlyns of Scotland Ltd | Alan Meikle | Managing Director |
| HARIBO Dunhills (Pontefract) PLC | Rebecca Fox | Retail Manager |
| Image on Foods Limited | Tim Hopcroft | Managing Director |
| Ingredion UK Limited | Mike Croghan | Senior Director Strategy & Business Development |
| Innovate Foods Ltd | Tim Page | Commercial Director |
| Jardox Ltd | Phil Moran | Sales and Marketing Director |
| John Hill Foods Ltd | Carolyn Smith | Managing Director |
| Kavli Ltd | Mark Butel | Head of Sales |
| KP Snacks Ltd | Andy Riddle | Sales Director Brands |
| KP Snacks Ltd | Ruth Tolchard | Snacks Controller |
| Lactalis McLelland ltd | Mike Chatters | Sales Director |
| Lactalis Nestlé Chilled Dairy Company Ltd | Rob Bowden | Commercial Director |
| Lamb Weston / Meijer UK Ltd | Nigel Phillips | Country Sales Manager |
| Lionel Hitchen Limited | Tim Brown | Sales and Marketing Director |
| Macphie Ltd | Anna Massie | Business Development Manager |
| Macphie Ltd | Damon Ratcliffe | Head of Sales |
| Macphie Ltd | Edward Widdowson | Head of Sales |
| Macphie Ltd | Estefania Di Cuffa | |
| Made For Drink - Ruscombe Artisan Food & Drink Ltd. | Jen Featherstone | Director |
| Mars Wrigley Confectionery UK | Phil Shaw | Head of Sales |
| Mars Wrigley Confectionery UK | Rezwan Hassan | Vice President Sales - Mars Chocolate UK |
| Maxons Ltd | Chris Pitchfork | Managing Director |
| McCain Foods (GB) Ltd | Alan Castle | Head of Customer Marketing |
| McCain Foods (GB) Ltd | Andrew Hoff | Retail Sales Director |
| McCain Foods (GB) Ltd | Howard Snape | Regional President - GB & Ireland |
| McCain Foods (GB) Ltd | Lesley Benson | Executive Assistant |
| McCain Foods (GB) Ltd | Stuart Herd | Commercial Director |
| Mondelez UK Limited | Daniel Shepard | Category Controller - Meals |
| Mondelez UK Limited | Mark Stananought | Customer Development Director |
| Mondelez UK Limited | Rainer Goerg | SRP Manager |
| Morning Foods Ltd | Andrew Rutter | Commercial Director |
| Morning Foods Ltd | Justin Lobb | Commercial Controller |
| Nairn's Oatcakes Ltd | Amy Morrison | account controller |
| Nairn's Oatcakes Ltd | John T Holroyd | Business Development Director |
| Nairn's Oatcakes Ltd | Paddy Cronin | Sales Director |
| Nestlé UK Ltd | James Jenkins | Sales Controller |
| Nestlé UK Ltd | Jane Peacock | Commercial Manager |
| Nestlé UK Ltd | Mark McKenzie | Group Sales Director - Nestle UK & Ireland |
| New England Seafood International Ltd | Alex Armstrong | National Account Manager |
| New England Seafood International Ltd | Emma Aitchison | Account Manager |
| New England Seafood International Ltd | Steven Reeves | Sales Director |
| Nim's Fruit Ltd | Nimisha Raja | CEO |
| Nurture Brands | Adam Draper | Managing Director |
| Nutricia Ltd. T/A Danone UK | Amandine King | National Account Manager |
| Pepsico UK & Ireland | Jason Richards | SVP & General Manager |
| Pepsico UK & Ireland | Jonathan Kyle | Head of UK Sales |
| Perfetti Van Melle UK Ltd | Chris Rainbow | National Field Sales Manager |
| Perfetti Van Melle UK Ltd | Jonny Briscoe | Managing Director |
| Premier Foods Plc | Alex Gilmore | UK Customer Director - Sweet Treats |
| Premier Foods Plc | Courtney Lewis | Customer Director |
| Premier Foods Plc | Ellie Krupa | UK Customer Director, Grocery |
| Premier Foods Plc | Richard Martin | Commercial Director |
| Premier Foods Plc | Sarah-Jayne Conrad | Customer Director |
| Premier Foodservice Ltd | James Porter | Channel Controller - Foodservice |
| R.D. Blackwood & Son (Production) Ltd | Geoffrey Race | Director |
| Rakusen's Limited | Andrew Simpson | Managing Director. |
| Rebel Kitchen | Nick Stratton | Head of International and UK Wholesale |
| Richardson Milling (UK) Ltd | Brin Hughes | Agronomy Manager |
| Ripon Select Foods Ltd | Sarah P. Cooper | Joint Managing Director |
| Santa Maria UK Ltd | David Edwards | Business Controller |
| Sco-Fro Group Ltd | Alasdair Beaton | Managing Director - Grocery Division |
| Sedamyl Ltd | Elena Frandino | Managing Director |
| Silvery Tweed Cereals | Robert Gladstone | Managing Director |
| Storck UK Ltd | Andy Mutton | Sales Director |
| T.W. Laycock & Sons Ltd | Nicholas Hempel | Partner |
| Tata Consumer Products (formerly Tetley) | Dan Clemence | Sales & Customer Director UK |
| Tata Consumer Products (formerly Tetley) | Jackie Doubtfire | Senior Business Manager |
| Tayto Group Limited | Stephen Hutchinson | Managing Director |
| TCI International Ltd | Simon Cripps | CEO (Assoc. Rep of SSA) |
| Tereos UK & Ireland Ltd | Melanie Guthertz | Account Manager |
| The Anglesey Sea Salt Company Ltd | Alison Lea-Wilson | Director |
| The Bart Ingredients Company Limited | David Collard | Chief Executive Officer |
| The Gluten Free Bakery | Rana Righton | Managing Director |
| The Healthy Food Development Ltd. | Balazs Lederer | Managing Director |
| The Healthy Food Development Ltd. | Katalin Venesz | Business Development Manager |
| The Jordans, Dorset & Ryvita Company Limited | Darren Lynn | International New Business Manager |
| Thomas Tunnock Limited | Fergus Loudon | Operations Director |
| Tilda Limited | Anthony Jones | Sales Director Grocery |
| Tregroes Waffles | Kees Huysmans | Managing Director |
| Twinings Ovaltine | Alan Rootkin | Sales Director UK & I |
| Twinings Ovaltine | Gill Close | Commercial Strategy & Planning Director |
| Unibond International | Jason Parsons | Sales and Sourcing Director |
| Unilever UK Limited | Richard Sadler | Customer Director |
| Upbeat Drinks | Mark Jones | Director |
| Verstegen Spices & Sauces UK Ltd | Jon Childs | General Manager UK |
| Virani Food Products Limited | Milan Shah | Director |
| Walkers Nonsuch Ltd | Emma Walker | Export Sales Director |
| Warburtons Ltd | Colin Bebbington | Sales Director |
| White's Speedicook Ltd | James Mathers | General Manager |
| White's Speedicook Ltd | Mark Gowdy | Commercial Director |
| William Santus & Co Ltd | Antony Winnard | Joint Managing Director |