Warburtons adds former Irn-Bru boss Roger White to its board

Warburtons has appointed former AG Barr boss Roger White to its board to support the bakery giant’s long-term growth, The Grocer has learned.

White, who stepped down as the CEO of the Irn-Bru maker earlier this year, started as non-executive director of Warburtons last week.

Chairman Jonathan Warburton said he was “really pleased” to add White to the team.

“His wealth of experience in the food industry no doubt will support our business as we continue to focus on long term growth,” he added.

White said: “I am pleased to be joining the executive board for such a well-regarded fifth-generation family business. Warburtons has a rich history, with a growth mindset and an unrelenting focus on delivering high-quality products direct to store each day.”

White retired from AG Barr in April after spending two decades leading the plc, making him one of the longest-serving bosses of a UK public company.

During his time at the helm, he led a transformation of AG Barr from a regional Scottish soft drinks supplier into a national multi-beverage player through a series of acquisitions, including Rubicon, Funkin, Boost and Moma Foods.

He also attempted to merge AG Barr with Britvic in 2012 but was thwarted by a lengthy competition investigation and a final rejection from its soft drinks rival.

White sat on the board of William Jackson Food Group as a non-executive director for more than five years from 2019 until stepping down in May.

He joins Warburtons after the baker registered record sales and profits last year despite challenges in the wider wrapped bread market.

Warburton called the performance a “return to normal levels following a difficult period the year prior”.

The group appointed Mary-Ann Kilby as its new managing director in 2023 following a tumultuous period in which chairman Warburton took back control of day-to-day operations as previous MD Neil Campbell departed.