UK & Ireland Conference: The Power of Us

Steve Murrells

CEO,, Hilton Food Group

Steve became Group CEO of Hilton Foods on 3 July 2023. Steve is a Non Exec Director at Noble Foods and is a Trustee on the Royal Countryside Fund.

Previously Steve was Co-op Group CEO in March 2017 having previously led the Co-op’s Food business.  He oversaw the acquisition of Nisa Retail Limited which grew the Co-op wholesale to over 7,700 stores across the UK. Steve developed a bold vision for the Co-op, to ‘Co-operate for a fairer world.’ He led the organisation to stay true to this throughout and beyond the COVID-19 crisis and campaigned boldly on issues such as violence against shop workers, modern slavery, racial inequality, climate change and food poverty. Steve was made CBE in the New Year’s Honours List for his efforts in keeping Co-op’s customers, members and communities fed and cared for via its Food and Life Services businesses, against the backdrop of the pandemic. Before joining Co-op Group Steve was CEO at Tulip, Chief Commercial Officer for Fresh Foods at Tesco and held a number of buying roles in Sainsbury.

Jane Treasure

Food & Beverage Director, Pizza Express

Jane joined PizzaExpress in 2017 as Food & Beverage Director where she is responsible for food and beverage innovation and strategy across the brand’s dine-in, dine-out (delivery) and retail channels.

Most recently, Jane has led the innovation of PizzaExpress’ iconic Dough Balls, relaunched the brand’s chilled retail range, and developed a new frozen supermarket offering, allowing customers to enjoy their restaurant favourites at home.

Over the past 25 years, Jane has developed products and menus for a range of global brands and was previously the Head of Food & Beverage at Costa, Senior Developer at McDonald’s UK & I and Development Technologist at Pizza Hut. Jane is an experienced and versatile project manager, with a strong reputation for innovation, strategy, menu planning and product launches.

Ruth McDonald

Corporate Services Director, Morrisons

Ruth McDonald is Morrisons Corporate Services Director leading Safety, Compliance, Quality, Sustainability and Business Continuity programmes and teams. She has more than 25 years experience in Technical, Brand and Sustainability, performing roles in both retail and manufacturing sectors in the UK and Internationally for businesses including Samworth Brothers, Woolworths (Australia) and Tesco

In addition to her responsibilities at Morrisons Ruth is a board member of FIIN (Food Industry Intelligence Network) and a Director and Trustee on the board of IGD.  Ruth is a mum, a traveller and a foodie.

Matthew Stoughton-Harris

Economics and Public Policy Manager, IGD

Matthew works alongside the Economics team to provide analysis that helps food and consumer goods businesses make informed decisions in times of change.

His focus is on creating policy insight for the benefit of the whole supply-chain. He is also responsible for supporting IGD’s government relationships and Resilience programme.

Matthew joined IGD in 2022. Prior to this, he worked for Willis Towers Watson in several roles across investment and insurance. Matthew has an MSc in Environment and Development from the London School of Economics. 

Craig Tomkinson

Chief Finance Officer, 2 Sisters Food Group

Craig is Group CFO for Boparan Holdings Limited (2 Sisters Food Group). He has 15 years experience in retail and consumer businesses. He started his career as a Chartered Accountant with PriceWaterhouseCoopers (PwC) before taking commercial and operational finance roles with Whitbread and Tesco. Craig joined 2 Sisters in 2010, becoming Finance Director of the UK Poultry business from 2012-2016. In this period he oversaw the acquisition and integration of the Vion Poultry business. Craig left the business in 2016 to lead a food start-up. He then re-joined Boparan Holdings as Group CFO in 2018 to deliver a new strategy of debt reduction and re-focusing the Group on the core operations of poultry and ready meal production. Craig is a graduate of Loughborough University and the University of Oxford.

Ian Lindsay

Managing Director, Smithfield Foods

Ian has over 35 years’ experience working in Food & FMCG. During this time has held a variety of roles with a number of organisations of varying scale. This diversity has left him with broad experience spanning wholesale, retail and foodservice; brand and private label; domestic and international supply and customers.

His formative years incorporated blue chip training with what is now Diageo.

He then moved through various senior sales positions with Duni, Northern Dairies, Gillette and Fresh Bake Foods.

His first executive position was Sales & Marketing director with Thayer’s New England Ice Cream in 1999.

From there he joined Cheviot Foods, a specialist frozen potato manufacturer, venture capital backed and part of the Prize Food Group, as Commercial Director. 

An approach from Smithfield led him to join them in 2006 as Commercial Director. Smithfield UK is a subsidiary of Smithfield Inc & subsequently WH Group – the world’s largest pork processor.

In 2012 he assumed the role of Managing Director and restructured the business to match the evolution of Smithfield’s European platform.

Ian sits on the European Leadership Team working closely with international colleagues to help define and support the strategic growth of Smithfield Europe.

Zara Mohammed

Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain

Zara Mohammed is a master's graduate in Human Rights Law and a Training and Development Consultant.

She was elected the first female, first Scot and youngest Secretary-General of the Muslim Council of Britain in February 2021. She is passionate about community change, empowering young people, and improving diversity and inclusion both within her communities and beyond.

Since her election Zara has spoken on key issues impacting British Muslims across mainstream media and publications, she was a key note speaker at the G20 interfaith summit and was featured in Vogue’s 25 most influential women in the UK.

Angela Owen OBE

Founder, Women in Defence UK

Angela’s Army career spanned 30 years and included tours in the UK, Germany and NI during the ‘Troubles’. One of the very first mothers to re-join the Army after the rules changed in the early 90s, Angela has always cared deeply about helping women progress with a real passion for gender equity.

In 2011, Angela founded Women in Defence UK. Although best known for its annual Awards, now in their 9^th year, it has recently launched its innovative Critical Mass work and continues to advocate change through its Challenge interviews with senior officers and MOD officials. Its ground-breaking cross-defence sector mentoring programme is in its fourth year and the group continues to collaborate with the MOD and industry on the Women in Defence Charter.

Angela recently reprised her early (Commonwealth Games) athletics career and enjoys sprinting in Masters’ competitions albeit very slowly. She was appointed OBE in the New Years’ Honours List 2021 for her services to women who work in the Defence Sector and was selected to join the Northern Power Women’s Power List in 2024. An exceptionally proud mother of a son and daughter, she is now an equally proud grandmother of two glorious granddaughters!    

Sharniya Ferdinand

Enterprise Community Strategy Director, NatWest

Sharniya has gained experience across Personal, Business, Commercial Banking and HR. Supporting clients to identify their needs and increase business growth. Devising and managing customer-focused inclusion activities, engaging with diverse communities, advocating inclusive entrepreneurship support. Supporting the bank to develop colleague focused DEI strategies and initiatives. Using internal and external stakeholder networks and market-leading intelligence to promote inclusive thinking. 

In her current role as Enterprise Community Strategy Director, she leads on implementing the national strategy for supporting diverse business and working with Aston University to implement the Time to Change report’s recommendations.  

In 2017 Sharniya was awarded the RBS Women’s Opal award. In 2019 Sharniya was recognised as a Rising Star in Diversity by We Are The City. A programme Sharniya led which focused on accelerating multi-ethnic founders was highly commended at the 2019 European Diversity Awards and won the Supplier Diversity programme of the year at the 2022 British Diversity Awards. Sharniya was recognised as Employee of the Year at the 2022 MBCC (Multicultural Business & Community Champion) Awards. Sharniya was listed in Involve’s 2023 HERoes Future Leaders top 100.  

She is passionate about inclusion and empowering those who are underrepresented in their industries, mentoring early-stage business owners and diverse professionals. Sharniya is an avid supporter of the bank’s employee networks and was recently appointed as co-lead of the NatWest Group Racial Equality Taskforce. Sharniya is also a judge for the Black Talent Awards. Sharniya has a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and a Masters in Events and Exhibitions Management.

Jodi Goldman

Personal Impact Coach

Jodi Goldman is a Personal Impact Coach and experienced international speaker. She's worked with thousands of professionals and business owners to help them develop magnetic confidence, a powerful personal brand and assertive communication skills. Her corporate clients include companies like Google, RBS, Everywoman, Sony, IG and the Post Office.

: https://jodigoldman.co.uk/

Kate Stephens

CEO , Smartworks Charity

te Stephens is CEO of Smart Works, a UK charity that exists to give women the confidence they need to succeed at interview, fulfil their potential and transform their lives.

Kate leads the charity’s mission to empower all women who need help getting into work, and over the last 10 years has led Smart Works’ growth from one centre in London to 11 across the UK, with ambitious plans to double in size and reach 10,000 women by 2025.

Kate combines senior private sector experience with a passion for the entrepreneurial, dynamic and inspirational charity sector, learnt first as Trustee, Vice Chair and then Chair of a leading family charity and then as CEO of Smart Works.  She is also a trustee of The Whitehall and Industry Group, a charity that fosters learning between the public, private and third sector.  Kate believes passionately in the power of collaboration and social entrepreneurship to be a force for good.

Laura Ryan (Chair)

Founder & Global Chair, Meat Business Women

Laura is an expert in building global networks and driving transformational change across the agri-food sector and up until 2019 was Sector Strategy Director for Beef & Lamb Board at Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). In 2023, Laura was named in the Grocer's Power List.

She has subsequently grown a global portfolio of work across the meat sector through the launch of Lavenpark, her own consultancy business which works with levy boards, government and commercial companies to achieve greater success through improved industry insight, connectivity, business development, marketing, and communications.

She is co-founder of the trailblazing Global Meat Alliance initiative and is also the founder and Global Chair of Meat Business Women which has been recognised by the United Nations as one of the solutions to the global Sustainable Development Goals.

Andrea Jex (Chair)

Procurement Director, Hilton Foods

Andrea joined Hilton Foods in 2016 and has held various positions within Procurement before being appointed Procurement Director in 2022. She heads up a global team that is responsible for the procurement of packaging, non-protein food and indirect services.

She has over 30 years’ experience in the food procurement sector having worked for a number of major food manufacturers.

Packaging innovation and sustainability are areas that Andrea is passionate about and she is a very active member of some of the bodies that promotes these areas globally and is determined to make a difference in this area.

Andrea has a First-Class Honours Degree in Food Manufacturing and reached the finals of the 2021 Women in Meat industry awards for the Meat Businesswomen Manufacturing and Processing award.

When Andrea is not at work she enjoys clay pigeon shooting and riding motorbikes but obviously not at the same time!

Harriet Wilson (Chair)

Partnerships Director, Meat Business Women

Harriet joined Meat Business Women as Partnerships Director in August 2023. Here, she is focused on adding value to partners and increasing engagement across our wider community, to truly make meaningful change to the meat sector by attracting and retaining female talent. She won the first Meat Business Women ‘One to Watch Award’ in 2018 and was part of the UK&I Committee for three years.

Her career so far has involved Head of Agriculture & senior CSR roles for quick service restaurant chain McDonald’s and retailers ALDI and Co-op Food, with industry placements at Sainsbury’s and McDonald’s whilst at university. She graduated from Harper Adams University in 2014 and during her studies was a columnist for the Farmers Weekly.

With her background and passion for Agriculture, Harriet is a previous member of the NFU’s Next Generation Policy Forum, advisor to the Prince’s Countryside Fund Farming Group and sat on the Red Tractor Board for Beef and Lamb standards.

Harriet is based on her partners’ arable farm in Shropshire and also helps on her family’s beef & sheep farm in Staffordshire. Previously an active Young Farmers’ member, she enjoys coaching younger members in public speaking and stock judging, as well as organising various charity events.

Stacey McKenna

Australian Chair, Meat Business Women

Stacey McKenna serves as the Australian Chair of Meat Business Women, having recently signed on as the Australian Territory partner, Stacey is excited to grow the Meat Business Women initiative in the Australian market.

With extensive experience in the meat industry, she brings valuable knowledge and leadership to elevate women's roles and foster inclusivity.

In addition to this pivotal role Stacey also serves as the Industry Affairs Manager for The Midfield Group, a prominent meat Australian meat processor and holds board positions with both the Australian Meat Industry Council and the Australian Meat Processor Corporation.

Stacey is passionate about industry development and actively contributes to the development of the meat industry via these positions. Her dedication to industry engagement and diverse skill set position her as a strong advocate for the red meat sector.

Stacey's academic credentials include a Graduate Certificate in Agribusiness, a Diploma in Meat Technology, and graduation from the Australian Institute of Company Directors.

Nicola Washington

Head of Food Safety & Quality, Cranswick plc

Nicola obtained a B.Sc in Food Science and Nutrition from Oxford Brookes University and then started work in a sandwich factory as a Q.A. Supervisor.  In 2001 she joined a poultry business and her career in meat began.  She joined Cranswick in 2010 as a site Technical Manager at their facility in Watton and, following various divisional roles and an M.Sc. in Meat Science alongside an M.Sc. in Poultry Science, is now Head of Food Safety and Quality for the group, responsible for the safety, legality, quality and authenticity of all the various delicious food products supplied from their 22 manufacturing sites across the UK.  

Over her 20+ year career in the meat industry, Nicola has seen more opportunities for female talent in the sector but believes that this is an area in which we still have a long way to go.  She would have loved to have had the opportunity for the mentoring available through MBW when starting out in her career, and sees this as an incredible resource for us all.  

Nicola is married and in her spare time enjoys travelling, walking the dog and is currently training for her first ever marathon.