Marnie Millard

Source: Pura

Millard will take up the post immediately, working closely with Pura CEO Guy Fennell and his leadership team

Eco-friendly babycare brand Pura has appointed Marnie Millard as chair.

Millard was CEO of Vimto owner Nichols from 2013 to 2020, and president of the British Soft Drinks Association from 2020 to 2021.

Millard is currently chair of the board at Marks Electrical Group, University Academy 92 and Kidly. She is also non-executive director at Belvoir Farm and Finsbury Food Group.

Millard – who was awarded an OBE in 2018 in recognition of her contribution to business – will take up the post immediately, working with Pura CEO Guy Fennell and his leadership team.

The appointment of its first non-executive chair comes at a time of rapid growth for Pura, which has been disrupting the market with affordable, low-impact but high-performance baby wipes and nappies since its birth in 2020.

Since its 2020 launch, Pura has evolved from a DTC to multichannel business, having gained retail listings with Asda, Tesco, Spar, Boots and Superdrug.

Fennell said he was “truly looking forward to the invaluable experience Marnie will bring to the table”.

“I am delighted to welcome her to the Pura family at this extremely exciting time in our journey.”

According to Millard, Pura had “a great team led by a determined, talented founder”.

“Sustainable, disruptive and growth businesses are where I like to work, and Pura ticks all the boxes as well as being a certified B Corp.

“Similar to my roles at UA92, Marks Electrical and Kidly, I will be supporting a disruptor in a large traditional market, with large competitors, and I am looking forward to offering support as Pura scales up.”

It comes after Pura received a £4.25m investment in February from private equity firm Maven Capital Partners to help fund its expansion in the UK and beyond.