Meat Business Women Appoints First Managing Director

Meat Business Women, the global professional network for women working across the meat and food supply chain, has appointed Joanna Parnell as its first Managing Director, marking an exciting new chapter in the organisation’s growth.

Joanna brings extensive strategic and commercial experience from a career that spans brand, agency, consultancy, and board-level leadership. She has delivered transformation programmes worth hundreds of millions in client revenue, led agency teams to deliver growth in digital practices across Europe, America and Australia, and advised C-suite leaders on organisational change, customer strategy and operational efficiency. This combination of commercial insight, operational expertise and hands-on leadership makes her ideally placed to support Meat Business Women’s next stage of development.

As Managing Director, Joanna will work closely with the team to strengthen the value delivered to members and partners, while also driving growth across the wider food sector. Alongside this, she will provide financial and strategic oversight to ensure long-term sustainability.

Speaking about the appointment, Meat Business Women Founder and Global Chair, Laura Ryan, said:

“We are delighted to share that we are enhancing our leadership capacity by bringing on a Managing Director to support our next stage of growth. I will continue to remain heavily involved as Global Chair, ensuring continuity while strengthening the team to deliver even greater impact for our partners and community. Joanna’s depth of knowledge and strategic perspective will enable us to build on our successes and continue to grow our influence globally.”

Joanna added:

“I’m thrilled to be joining Meat Business Women at such a pivotal time. The organisation has already achieved so much in driving gender balance and building a connected global community. I’m excited to bring my experience of transformation and growth to help deliver even more value for our members, partners and the wider food industry.”

The appointment reflects Meat Business Women’s commitment to expanding its impact and strengthening its capacity to deliver pioneering initiatives such as the Food Business Charter, its global mentoring and personal development initiatives, and industry-leading research — all designed to unlock talent and build a more inclusive, profitable and future for the food industry.