Food Manufacturing

Sector overview

Accounting for 15% of UK manufacturing, the food and drink industry employs some 470,000 people, and with a turnover of more than £74bn represents the UK's largest single manufacturing sector. It is currently undergoing change on an unprecedented scale.
With climate change and sustainability prominent in all aspects of government policy the food and drink industry has been working to ensure it plays its part. The UK has also led the way in promoting health through the reformulation of products, and improving product knowledge through education programs and more informative approaches to labelling.

In addition to consumer demand for higher quality, greater choice and better value for money, manufacturers in this sector face many challenges, including inefficiencies throughout the supply chain, rising distribution costs, retailer dominance, and the impact of new legislation and regulation.

They also have to contend with a global rise in the cost of materials fuelled by changing weather patterns, increasing demand from developing nations, and the diversion of some crops to the production of biofuels.

With further pressure on small margins, improving operational efficiency through new technology and processes, more effective procurement and better people management is essential. And in this intensely competitive sector we can expect further consolidation through mergers and acquisitions.

Increasingly, manufacturers within the food and drink industry, are looking to experienced interim executives to help them develop and implement realistic strategies for success in this continuously changing and ever-more competitive business environment.

Sector experience

Providing leadership and operational expertise where organisations do not have the relevant competencies in-house; a project is short term and there is no need for a permanent appointment; or where existing staff are already working to capacity and additional help is required to deliver business objectives on time, Randstad Interim Excutives can be especially effective during periods of transition in roles ranging from project management through to board-level assignments. Within days of taking a brief, we can introduce Interim Executives across a wide range of disciplines, including:

• Production
• Engineering
• Technical
• New product development
• Supply chain
• HR
• Finance
• Purchasing
• Marketing
• Third party management (e.g. packaging, logistics, warehousing)

Randstad Interim Executives Food and Drink assignments

Typical interim management assignments we have placed recently include:

• Technical Director
• Commercial Director
• Supply Chain Director
• Head of HR
• Head of Engineering
• Site Manager
• Planning Manager
• Production Manager
• Head of Purchasing
• Head of IT
• Factory Manager
• Finance Director
• Logistics Manager
• Manufacturing Director

Randstad Interim Executives are also highly effective in project management roles – ideal where a project is short-term and there is no need for a permanent appointment. Recent and ongoing projects include:

• Production control – improvement in waste management and production down-time
• Supply chain – cost savings through better control of third-party suppliers
• People management – performance management and resource planning for seasonal fluctuations
• Financial controls – creation of new systems and controls for formation of meaningful MI
• Client services – introduction of key personnel with Food Retail experience to rescue relationship and improve service
• Purchasing – introduction of best practice in procurement to drive cost savings initiatives
• Change management – introduction of new products, factory relocation and closures
• Systems – implementation of ERP planning solutions
• Commercial – key account management, new business development, pricing, promotion, supplier negotiation
• Manufacturing/Operations – factory management, processing, preparation, technical, BRC quality audits, hygiene programme and production efficiency