Premier Foods CFO Alastair Murray

Alastair Murray is joining Premier Foods as CFO

Premier Foods has announced that chief financial officer Mark Moran is to leave the company.

He is to be replaced by Alastair Murray, most recently group finance director at Dairy Crest Group, who will also become an executive director.

Moran joined Premier in 2011, and helped the company secure a major refinancing package last year. Premier said Moran had been asked by CEO Gavin Darby to commit to at least the next three years with the business, but said it was “a commitment he ultimately felt unable to make”.

Moran will step down from the Premier board on 30 September but will remain with the business during October to hand over the role. He said he was proud of what Premier had achieved: “My decision to leave is entirely personal and I wish Gavin and the company all the best for the future.”

His replacement spent 10 years with Dairy Crest, during which time he helped to lead a restructure that simplified the business, and addressed its pension deficit. His previous roles have included group finance director of The Body Shop and 13 years with Unilever.

“Alastair is an excellent addition to the team,” said Darby. “His extensive strategic, commercial, financial and consumer branded experience will be invaluable as we continue our journey to transform the company and drive further growth. I’m confident he will hit the ground running.”

Murray said he was looking forward to being a part of “the next stages of Premier’s transformation”.