2 Sisters looks to future with two new COOs

Chris Walker has become COO chilled, ambient and frozen

2 Sisters Food Group has reshuffled its top brass and created two new chief operating officer roles in an attempt to make the business “fit for the future”.

A COO protein role and a COO chilled, ambient and frozen role have been created, both reporting directly to CEO Ranjit Singh Boparan.

Chris Walker, currently group procurement & supply chain director, has been appointed COO, chilled, ambient and frozen. He will take responsibility for 2 Sisters’ chilled ready meals, biscuits, bakery and frozen trading divisions, while also retaining his current remit for procurement and supply.

2 Sisters is currently recruiting for the COO protein role, who will have responsibility for all of the company’s poultry, added value poultry and red-meat operations in the UK and Holland.

The changes will streamline the business and result in fewer roles reporting to Singh.

Divisional managing directors Colin Smith (biscuits), Eddie Power (frozen), Simon Wookey (chilled) and Veepul Patel (bakery) will report to Walker.

Divisional MDs Aart Voets (European poultry), Steve Ellis (UK & 2 Sisters Poultry), Jose Peralta (red meat) and Olivier Goudineau (added value) will report to the COO for protein.

The changes - which took effect this week - would put the customer even closer to the heart of everything it did, claimed Boparan.

“As our business grows, I am keen to ensure we have a team that is responsive to our customers’ needs and fit for the future,” he said.

Walker’s promotion was well deserved, he added. “He has had an outstanding 32-year career, starting at Asda before working for almost 20 years at Morrisons. As senior trading director for fresh foods at Morrisons, he helped develop their vertical integration manufacturing model.”