The primary role of the Improve Ltd Board is to oversee the strategic development of the company and ensure that it is meeting its objectives.
The Board -
Paul Wilkinson, Jack Matthews, Mike Mullan, Brian Cains, Stephen Chambers, Bill Jermey, John Whitehead, Angela Coleshill, Stefan Barden, Simon Jackson
Paul Wilkinson - Chairman
Current role
Paul is one of the UK’s most experienced and successful senior food and drink industry executives. His current roles include Chairman of Improve Ltd, Big Bear Company and Produce World.
Previous experience
Birds Eye, Express Dairies, RHM.
Jack Matthews
Current role
Jack joined Improve as its Chief Executive in August 2004.
Previous experience
Many years in the energy industry, working for the Scottish Executive as Head of the Scottish Prison Service College, and consultancy in Hong Kong and Northern and Eastern Europe.
Mike Mullan
Current role
Mike is Human Resources and Corporate Change Director of United Dairy Farmers and is also a board member of Sentinus and Corrymeela.
Previous experience
Previous Human Resources positions with Viridian, Moy Park, Northern Foods and Coats Viyella.
Brian Cains
Current role
Brian is a Human Resources specialist.
Previous experience
Moy Park, Glanbia Consumer Meats Ltd, Aylesford Newsprint, Cadbury Schweppes and food and drink industry consultant.
Stephen Chambers
Current role
Finance Director and Company Secretary,
Improve Ltd.
Previous experience
Head of Financial Consultancy at the SSDA, Grant Thornton and secondment to the DTI. Stephen is also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.
Bill Jermey
Current role
Bill is a trustee of the British Meat Processors Association and is also chairman of the Meat Training Council. A chartered scientist, he is also a fellow member of the Institute for Food Scientists.
Previous experience
Bill is a former president of the British Meat Manufacturers Association and led the merger with the British Meat Federation, re-shaping the face of the UK meat industry. Bill has also led Butchers & Bakers Foods through a successful phase in building a new site without disturbing production.
John Whitehead
Current role
Deputy Chairman for the Seafish Industry Authority, a non-executive directorship at Strathmore Foods Ltd and Scotfruit. He is Chairman of the Certification Council, Scottish Food Quality Certification Ltd. John also carries out a number of consultancy projects in several areas of the food industry including pate manufacture, ethnic foods, bakery, oat milling, food service sales development, red meat sales development, ice cream and turkey processing.
Previous experience
Managing Director of Top Hat Holdings Limited (supplier of ready meals and soft fruit to most of the major UK multiples and some export markets) from 1989 until 1998. Since leaving the company, John has accepted a number of appointments on a non-executive or part time basis in the food and drink industry.
Angela Coleshill
Current role
Human Resources Director for the Food and Drink Federation (FDF) and through that capacity is acting chair of the Employee Relations Panel (ERP) of the FDF until such time as an employer chair is identified.
Previous experience
Providing human resource service to more than a hundred managers and over 200 retail outlets for Greggs Plc. Angela is an experienced manager with over 14 years of human resources background in the Service, Food and Retail industries.
Stefan Barden
Current role Chief Executive, Northern Foods
Previous experience Unilever, McKinsey and Company Inc, Iceland Frozen Foods and Heinz. Stefan is also a Governor of the British Nutrition Foundation Charity and also sits on the Policy Issues Council of the IGD.
Simon Jackson
Current role
Executive Director and Secretary of the Institute of Brewing and Distilling.
Previous experience
Significant experience in capital investment programmes, rationalisation projects, industrial relations, change management, service/productivity improvements through people strategies, Health and Safety, and Environmental systems and management. His previous roles also include UK Manufacturing Director of Scottish and Newcastle UK.
