Macphie appoints fourth-generation family member Ed Widdowson as CEO

Aberdeenshire food manufacturer Macphie has appointed fourth-generation family member Ed Widdowson as CEO.

Widdowson, who is the nephew of former Macphie chairman Alastair Macphie, will assume the role on 1 April, replacing Andy Stapley.

Widdowson has built an “impressive career in strategy, sales and marketing” to date, having spent eight years at Procter & Gamble in the UK and Switzerland, working across global brands including Gillette, Pampers, and Oral-B before becoming head of sales for Duracell UK.

Since joining Macphie in 2017, Widdowson has progressed through key leadership roles, beginning as head of sales where he drove significant growth within the bakery and on-the-go sector.

In 2022, Widdowson was promoted to site director at the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Aberdeenshire before moving into his most recent role of strategy, people & sustainability director.

Widdowson’s appointment as CEO fed into Macphie’s “long-term succession plan to grow the company’s 97-year family leadership tradition, while positioning it for international expansion”, said the business.

It was “an honour to take on this role and lead Macphie into its next phase of evolution”, said Widdowson.

“The business is at an exciting stage as we continue our capital investment programme into improving the infrastructure of our factories, creating capacity and building more sustainable methods of production.

“The UK will always be our core market, and we are proud of our Scottish roots, but I am equally excited to be taking our products and service further afield.

“Our ambition is to expand Macphie’s global footprint, particularly in high-growth markets and we have already made significant progress in several regions including the Middle East.

“This year we will be opening our first facility outside the UK in Dubai, as we look to build on the exciting vision and ambition of the region.”

Macphie chairman Norman Soutar said: “Facing into the challenging market conditions of the last five years, the Macphie business showed great resilience and, concurrently, most impressive sales growth.

“This success was underpinned by the certainty and long-term view of our family ownership, which allowed us to establish our strong commercial relationships, support our commitment to innovation, and helped build our reputation for producing fantastic-tasting food ingredients that delight our customers.

“We have a long-term strategy for the business and Ed’s appointment is a key element in aligning the organisation to deliver our next phase of growth,” Soutar added.