Name: Tim Kelly
Was: Chief operating officer for Premier Foods
Now: Chairman for The Advocate Group
Years in grocery: 31
Career background: Kelly started his grocery career in 1982, when he joined Unilever as a graduate trainee. He went on to work for Coca-Cola Schweppes, Diageo and Constellation Brands, before joining RHM in 2003. He moved across to Premier Foods in March 2007 when Premier acquired RHM. In July 2008, he was appointed an executive director on Premier’s board and was named chief operating officer shortly after. Kelly left Premier Foods in October 2011 following a management reshuffle.
At Premier Foods: Kelly was at one point tipped as a candidate for the top job but, after being caught up in Premier’s fallout with Tesco, and a profit warning, the role went to an outsider, Kraft’s Michael Clarke.
What is he doing now? Kelly recently resurfaced as chairman for recruitment consultancy The Advocate Group. On his appointment, director Chris Dickenson said: “Having such well-established senior figures within the company, advising on strategy and sharing their in-depth industry knowledge, allows us to partner even better with our clients. We already have industry-specific consultants who have worked with the sectors for which they now recruit, so we are continuing to add to our industry astuteness. We look forward to a long relationship with Tim.”
What’s next? He’s looking forward to his new role at The Advocate Group: “I am delighted to be joining The Advocate Group and building on what is a very successful company. They have a clear business model, which delivers outstanding service for their clients and helps candidates find the right role. The team are ambitious and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their goals.”
No comments yet