Former Greencore commercial director Jonathan Hodgson is to lead the sales team at seafood supplier Lyons Seafood.

Hodgson brought 22 years of experience in the food and drink industry to the role and was perfectly placed to drive Lyons' business, said MD Charles Dawson. The company is one of Europe's largest processors of king prawns, supplying retail manufacturing and foodservice.

"Jonathan has a proven track record of delivering growth and, given his past experience, has a strong understanding of the prawn and speciality seafood market and the food industry as a whole," Dawson said.

Hodgson started his career on Asda's graduate training scheme and spent five years at Young's Seafood, where he was account group director and gained a grounding in the seafood market. He also worked for five years at Geest (now Bakkavör).

Seafood was a dynamic sector and the role would give him the opportunity to specialise in his chosen area, said Hodgson, who will be based at the Warmington office.

"The company has a unique positioning, not only leading the sustainability and ethical sourcing agenda, but also a track record of bringing successful innovation to market," he said. "Within the retail sector I have experience of working across the fresh, frozen and ambient sectors and joining Lyons gives me the opportunity to specialise in my areas of expertise. I look forward to working with customers to deliver continued strong growth in the future."