Müller UK & Ireland has recruited a dairy industry stalwart as managing director of Müller Wiseman Dairies.

Carl Ravenhall, managing director of Arla Milk Link’s cheese business, will take over from Billy Keane on Tuesday (2 April), where he will be responsible for running the fresh milk business, which has 22 sites.

Ravenhall, whose career spans more than 25 years, brings a wealth of commercial, operational and technical experience to the position.

He played an instrumental role during Milk Link’s merger with Arla Foods last year. Before that, he was managing director of the Irish Dairy Board’s UK subsidiary, Adams Foods (formerly the Kerrygold Company), a role he held for five years, having previously served seven years as Kerrygold’s production director.

Ravenhall’s knowledge of the butter market will be particularly valuable to Müller Wiseman, which recently announced a £17m investment to build the UK’s largest butter plant at Market Drayton.

“We intend to be the largest and most competitive dairy company in the UK,” said Ronald Kers, CEO of Müller UK & Ireland Group. “It is important that we have the structure and management team in place to deliver our aspirations.

“We are pleased to welcome Carl at an exciting time for Müller Wiseman Dairies, the Müller UK & Ireland Group and the dairy industry as a whole.”

Ravenhall, who lives in Staffordshire, will relocate to Glasgow and be based at the Müller Wiseman Dairies headquarters at East Kilbride, where he will report to Kers.

Last year, yoghurt maker Müller UK bought Robert Wiseman Dairies for £279.5m. Müller described the deal as a “strategic move to enter a new market segment in the UK”.

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