Deliciously Ella co-founder Matthew Mills has stepped down from his position at Hero Group less than four months after taking on the role of general manager for the Swiss multinational’s consolidated business in the UK, The Grocer can reveal.
Hero swooped to acquire Deliciously Ella for £45m in September 2024, with Mills and his wife Ella staying on to lead the next stage of growth.
In December last year, Hero unveiled a new leadership team for the UK to be spearheaded by Mills as country manager, with Deliciously Ella integrated into the group’s UK & Ireland brand portfolio, which also includes babyfood supplier Organix and kids snack maker Goodies.
The reason for his sudden departure is unclear. Hero said Mills was leaving the company after the completion of the first phase of the integration of the Deliciously Ella business within the wider organisation.
It closely follows the latest UK acquisition for Hero of The Gut Stuff last month.
“We thank Matthew for his commitment and leadership, including the integration of the Deliciously Ella business within Hero UK&I, and wish him all the best for the future,” said Menno Oosterhoff, Hero chief markets & sales officer.
Read more: Hero Group outlines big expansion plans for Deliciously Ella
Hero UK&I commercial director Georgina Pattison, who was previously appointed as MD at Deliciously Ella following the takeover at the tail end of 2024, has been promoted to general manager.
Pattison spent eight years at Deliciously Ella before it was purchased by Hero, moving to the healthy snacking brand as commercial director from Innocent Drinks, where she spent more than six years, including a spell as country manager for Sweden.
Hero said she was “uniquely prepared” for her new role and was a “strong and values-driven leader with deep fmcg experience, a sharp commercial mindset and a track record of delivering results through close collaboration and clear accountability”.
Oosterhoff added: “The UK is a strategic market for Hero, and our priorities and commitment remain unchanged. Our focus is on strengthening our foundations to continue to develop our strong brands, unifying and mobilising the team around new ways of working, and strengthening our execution with clarity and pace.”
Pattison wrote on a LinkedIn post that she was “incredibly proud” to be leading the UK Hero business into its next chapter.
“We have strong purpose-led brands, ambitious plans, brilliant people and a huge opportunity ahead of us,” she said. “My focus will be on building high-performing teams, strengthening partnerships and driving sustainable growth with clarity, pace, collaboration and strong execution.”
Pattison added: “It goes without saying that I will really miss working with my incredible manager, business partner, coach and dear friend Matthew Mills, who has been by my side every week over the last 10 years. It is the end of an era and I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to build Deliciously Ella with him, brick-by-brick to the amazing brand that it is today.”
Hero generates annual revenues of more than £1bn and operates across snacking, spreads and babyfood, with global brands such as Corny, Beech-Nut, Schwartau, Semper and Freche Freunde. The group was founded in 1886 in Lenzburg, where its headquarters are still located today.
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