Arla Foods appoints Fran Ball as new head of UK supply chain

UK – Arla Foods UK, a regional operator of Arla Foods, has appointed Fran Ball as its senior vice president of UK supply chain, effective from this month, to oversee a team of more than 2,800 employees.

Ball has spent the past three years as vice president for production at the dairy cooperative and has more than 20 years of experience in the manufacturing sector.

The role of vice president of UK supply chain is a newly created position, with a focus on building a stronger supply chain from “farm to fridge” and strengthening customer delivery through empowering local teams.

 Ball said, “Leading UK production has been a huge privilege. Together, we’ve built a fantastic team focused on manufacturing excellence, an inclusive culture, and securing significant investment in our UK sites, such as Taw Valley and Lockerbie. Now as we create a new end-to-end supply chain team, we will continue to build on our collaboration and team working to remain focused on delivering for our customers and adding value for our consumers.”

Bas Padberg, Managing Director of Arla Foods UK, expressed enthusiasm about Ball’s appointment to the new role.  He noted that over the past three years, she had shown exceptional leadership, contributing to innovation and operational efficiency across the company’s UK sites.

Padberg highlighted her strong manufacturing expertise and dedication to promoting an inclusive workplace culture, suggesting these qualities would be key as Arla continues to invest in its supply chain and maintain high standards in dairy production.

 He added that he looked forward to working with her to enhance operations and support the company’s growth ambitions.

Arla announces new Board of Directors for 2024-2026 term

Additionally, the Arla Foods Board of Representatives elected the new Board of Directors for Arla Foods for the next two years.

The election, which took place during Arla’s Board of Representatives meeting in Copenhagen, introduced four new members to the Board of Directors for the 2024-2026 term.

The newly elected members are farmer-owners Markus Hübers from Germany and George Holmes from the UK, as well as Arla employees Paul Cullen (UK) and Holger Steen Lund (Denmark).

Jan Toft Nørgaard was re-elected as Chair of the Board, continuing a role he has held since 2018, and Inger-Lise Sjöström was elected as Vice Chair. The board also saw the re-election of external members Nana Bule and Florence Rollet.

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