Former Uniq and Tesco executive Hamish Renton has been appointed to the newly created position of marketing director at Milk Link to help drive the company's adventurous NPD plans.
The farmer-owned co-operative created the position to help accelerate growth in its added value, branded and licensed products.
The £520m company is to open an innovation centre at Taw Valley in the new year with a wide range of pilot plant equipment for testing and developing new products and brands.
It this week finished recruiting a 20-strong senior executive team, comprising talent from inside and outside the company, that will work closely with Renton to develop and test new products at the centre.
"I am delighted to be joining such a strong senior team within a progressive and dynamic business at a time when it is looking to exploit new opportunities in the branded and out-of-home sectors," he said. "The centre will be the best in the cheese industry."
Renton claimed he was picked for the job for his experience of branding, licensing and own-label, and his "nose for innovation".
He joined Milk Link from dairy giant Uniq, where he was MD of Riviera Desserts for three years, before which he was head of own-label, diet and health at Tesco. Previously he was a category manager at Argos.
Milk Link was well-equipped to overcome the financial crisis affecting the dairy industry because it was a farmers' co-op and owned every part of the production process, which meant it didn't need to rely heavily on other businesses, Renton added.
The farmer-owned co-operative created the position to help accelerate growth in its added value, branded and licensed products.
The £520m company is to open an innovation centre at Taw Valley in the new year with a wide range of pilot plant equipment for testing and developing new products and brands.
It this week finished recruiting a 20-strong senior executive team, comprising talent from inside and outside the company, that will work closely with Renton to develop and test new products at the centre.
"I am delighted to be joining such a strong senior team within a progressive and dynamic business at a time when it is looking to exploit new opportunities in the branded and out-of-home sectors," he said. "The centre will be the best in the cheese industry."
Renton claimed he was picked for the job for his experience of branding, licensing and own-label, and his "nose for innovation".
He joined Milk Link from dairy giant Uniq, where he was MD of Riviera Desserts for three years, before which he was head of own-label, diet and health at Tesco. Previously he was a category manager at Argos.
Milk Link was well-equipped to overcome the financial crisis affecting the dairy industry because it was a farmers' co-op and owned every part of the production process, which meant it didn't need to rely heavily on other businesses, Renton added.
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