Women’s power list: the 10 making manufacturing a woman’s world

Debra Crew

COO, Diageo (CEO from July)

Crew is currently Diageo’s chief operating officer, but will take the reins as CEO in July to become one of only eight women to lead an FTSE 100 company. Crew is a recent recruit, working for Kraft Foods, Nestlé and Mars earlier in her career before taking on senior positions at PepsiCo, and briefly running Reynolds American. At the helm of Diageo, she will be responsible for £1 in every £10 of Britain’s total food and drink exports.

 

Conny Braams

Chief digital & commercial officer, Unilever

Braams joined Unilever as a marketing trainee in 1990, and has risen up the ranks of the global giant. She became chief digital & commercial officer in April 2022, taking on responsibility for sales, marketing and the company’s digital transformation. She’s not only advancing how Unilever markets itself, but to whom it won’t, announcing in April that the company would no longer advertise to children under 16.

 

Jojo de Noronha

President, Heinz Northern Europe

Heinz versus Tesco was food’s highest-profile bout of 2022, and overseeing it all on the manufacturing side was Jojo de Noronha. A former investment banker, de Noronha joined Kraft Heinz in sales back in 2015, before moving into HR and ultimately taking over at the helm of the Northern European business in 2019. She said one of her big aims was to “liberate” beans by playing up their health credentials, a bit like a modern-day avocado, if you will.

 

Sol Daurella

Chair, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners

Daurella is the third generation of her family to run part of the Coca-Cola empire since they signed Spain’s first bottling agreement almost 70 years ago. In May 2016, she took over as chair following a three-way merger of Coca-Cola bottlers to form the European giant that is CCEP. It is now the world’s largest Coca-Cola bottler. Daurella herself owns about 7% of the company, giving her a net worth of $1.8bn, according to Forbes.

 

Louise Stigant 

UK MD, Mondelez

Stigant took over as Mondelez’s UK MD in June 2018 after a 30-year career in fmcg. She describes it as a “dual role” both leading the sales team with “a responsibility for the wider community within the UK business”. There’s been little respite, with new HFSS rules just one in a long line of challenges. Stigant is well-versed in anti-obesity efforts, with Mondelez successfully reformulating the likes of Cadbury Dairy Milk and Wine Gums to include 30% less sugar.  

 

Elaine Birchall

CEO, SHS Group

Birchall was appointed CEO of SHS Group in 2015 after being brought over from the board of PZ Cussons. Birchall has grown SHS significantly during her time with the company, taking annual revenues at the owner of brands like WKD, Shloer and Meridian nut butters from around £400m upon joining to almost £650m today. In 2021, she was awarded an MBE for services to economic development in Northern Ireland.

 

Jillian Moffatt

GB&I regional president, McCain

Moffatt took over as regional president last month after 14 years in the business. She was previously McCain’s chief technology officer, leading the IT, data and digital teams. One of Moffatt’s key aims is to work to improve the supply chain’s resilience by tackling the impacts of climate change, and moving towards the company’s commitment to implement regenerative agriculture practices across its entire potato production by 2030. 

 

Nathalie Roos

CEO, Lipton Tea and Infusions

Roos joined Lipton, owner of major tea brands like PG Tips and Pukka, soon after it was sold off by Unilever to private equity. Roos has set out ambitious plans to become a leader in sustainable tea production and farming, amid recent media reports that found sexual exploitation on Kenyan farms it bought from. Roos previously sat on L’Oréal board as head of its professional products, after serving as the group’s country manager for Germany.

 

Jennifer Moss

Chief R&D officer, Pladis

Moss became Pladis’ global chief research & development officer in November 2020, taking responsibility for innovation and new products at the McVitie’s and Jaffa Cakes owner. That’s included a big push to reduce its sugar use and boost health credentials across its range.

Moss has spent three decades working in fmcg and R&D, previously at P&G, Unilever and, most recently, Australian firm Campbell Arnott’s.

 

Abigail Stevenson

Chief science officer, Mars

Stevenson’s job is centred on “championing Mars’ involvement in global, cutting-edge science discovery”. She is also VP of the Mars Advanced Research Institute, which connects Mars to emerging science with the potential to “reinvent the future” of the business. This has previously included the discovery of a natural alternative to blue food colouring in cabbage.