Cairns worked for 15 years at Unilever and in his most recent role was vice president responsible for the company’s European hair care division.
Ryvita has recruited a former non-food heavyweight too. Nigel Nelms, former marketing director at Johnson & Johnson, has joined the snacks brand in the same capacity.
United Biscuits has appointed Jessica Wylie to senior brand manager for savoury biscuits. Nick Stuart will take on responsibility for trade communications at UBUK.
Healthier snacks brand, Nature’s Table, has also been strengthening its team with the appointment of Shaun Bye as sales director. Bye was previously convenience and impulse sales controller at Burton Foods.
The soft drinks manufacturer Sangs (Banff) has appointed Darren Wilson to the role of UK sales manager. It is the first senior appointment by the team behind the company, which acquired the Macduff-based business in a takeover four months ago.
Fellow Scottish business Isle of Shuna has announced the appointment of Donny Gillies as managing director. Gillies joins from the Scottish Shellfish Marketing Group. At the same time, Shuna has signed a cop-operation agreement with Loch Fyne Oysters to build a Shuna mussel-processing factory on the shores of Loch Fyne to process the West Coast production of Shuna and all of Loch Fyne’s fresh mussels.
Elsewhere, Ardo UK, the Kent supplier of frozen fruit and vegetables, has appointed Darren Schlosser as technical manager of its Charing headquarters.
Three packaging companies have been strengthening their operations too.
Nampak Europe has appointed Tom Reid as managing director with responsibility for four operating division across 22 facilities in the UK and mainland Europe.
Linpac Group has appointed Ralf Wunderlich to the role of president and managing director of Linpac Plastics, reporting to Mike Arrowsmith, group ceo. Wunderlich will take up his new role on 1 January and become a member of the Linpac Group Board.
And Tetra Pak UK has recruited three national recycling officers to accelerate the development of drinks recycling in the UK. Fay Dashper and Jenny Walden join from Oxfordshire County Council and Benjamin Aebischer is an internal addition to the team.
Lastly, it is with deep regret Hubbard Ice Systems announces Trevor Fellowes, technical manager, died suddenly at his home in Guildford on 11 November 2007. Trevor was a respected refrigeration engineer who worked for Hubbard Ice Systems for the last 12 years.
He leaves a widow, Gill, and daughter, Susan.
