Hybu Cig Cymru/Meat Promotion Wales has appointed former Tulip MD José Peralta as its new CEO.
He joins the Welsh government arms-length levy body after a spell at Pembrokeshire-based Puffin Produce, where he worked as chief operating officer and was instrumental in in the development of the Pembrokeshire Creamery milk bottling plant.
Peralta boasts a more than 25-year career in MD-level roles in the UK meat industry.
Past roles include working as MD of the UK’s second-largest red meat business under the ownership of Grampian Country Food Group, Vion, and 2 Sisters Food Group. Under Peralta’s leadership, the organisation had annual sales in excess of £500m, over 3,000 employees, six processing plants across the UK and was one of the largest sellers of Welsh beef and lamb in the UK and abroad until 2016, HCC said.
At Tulip, he was ultimately responsible for eight processing sites and annual sales of more than £500m of pork-based added value products.
He will officially start work on 20 January, replacing HCC interim CEO Heather Anstey-Myers, who had worked in the post for the past year.
HCC’s previous CEO Gwyn Howells stepped down last June after having previously been on extended sickness leave for a year.
Peralta is joining the levy body in the wake of a series of damaging allegations of workplace bullying and significant staff turnover last year. An investigation by S4C documentary series Y Byd ar Bedwar in November claimed a “toxic” workplace culture existed at the organisation.
’Challenging’ period for organisation
Speaking to the Welsh language broadcaster at the time, HCC chair Catherine Smith admitted the body had faced a “challenging” period.
An independent report noted there was a case to answer on some of the allegations, HCC said. “Their recommendation was that improvement was necessary both for the individual concerned (in the way they performed their role) and the organisation. All recommendations have been, or are being, implemented in full,” it told The Grocer.
Huw Irranca-Davies, Wales’ deputy first minister with responsibility for climate change and rural affairs, welcomed Peralta’s appointment.
“With such a strong track record in the red meat industry, his experience will be invaluable to take the organisation forward, delivering the utmost for its levy payers and the wider agri-food industry,” he said.
“I am confident that Hybu Cig Cymru will continue to play a central role in working with Welsh government and stakeholders in delivering a sustainable future for farmers across the breadth of Wales.”
Smith said Peralta possessed “exceptional leadership skills”, with his extensive experience in the red meat industry making him the “ideal candidate to lead HCC, in its next phase of development within a dynamic and evolving industry, while continuing to place our levy payers at the heart of everything we do”.
This was an “exciting time to join the organisation”, she added. “As we finalise our current five-year business plan and begin shaping our strategic vision for 2026 and beyond, we are focused on creating a roadmap that will support the sustainable growth of the industry as a vital part of the Welsh agri-food economy.”
Peralta said he would work with the HCC team to “ensure that the organisation stands with its partners as a strong voice for the Welsh red meat industry, championing its development and promotion on behalf of our levy payers”.
He added: “Over the coming weeks and months, I will be engaging with levy payers and wider partners, to identify areas of mutual collaboration and partnership in order to maximise returns for our levy payers and the wider industry.”
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