Skip to content
Search
AI Powered
Latest Stories

Former Co-op boss Steve Murrells joins Hilton Foods as chief executive

Former Co-op boss Steve Murrells joins Hilton Foods as chief executive
Steve Murrells

Meat processing firm Hilton Foods has announced the appointment of Steve Murrells as its new group chief executive.

Murrells, who stepped down as the group chief executive of Co-op last year, will assume the role on 3 July and join the board of directors.


He succeeds Philip Heffer, who has decided to stand down from the board and step back from running the company after almost 30 years with Hilton Foods, including the past five years as group chief executive.

Heffer will remain with the business as co-founder and advisor to the Hilton Foods board.

“After the work we've done to grow Hilton Foods and expand our commercial model over the past five years, this is a good moment to step back from running the business. Hilton Foods today is a major international business, with sales and operations across Europe, Asia and the Pacific, offering a broad range of quality products, from meat and seafood to vegan and vegetarian products,” Heffer said.

“Steve was one of our first customers in the 1990s and he has an excellent track record within the food industry. Although I am stepping down from the board, I'm proud to remain a significant shareholder and I look forward to supporting the continued growth of the business in my new role.”

Murrells’ connection to the business dates back almost 30 years, when he was one of Hilton Foods' first customers and commercial partners at Tesco.

After serving as chief executive of Tulip Ltd from 2009 to 2012, he was appointed as chief executive of Co-op Food, where he oversaw a turnaround in performance and repositioned the business as a leading convenience player. This was followed by five years as group chief executive of Co-op Group, leading the business through the Covid-19 pandemic, repositioning the group's Insurance and Probate businesses, and growing its online capabilities.

Murrells was made a CBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to the food supply chain.

“Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, I was the Meat Category Director at Tesco when Hilton was pioneering centrally packed meat, and the way that Philip and the team have grown the business since then has been incredible, with fifteen years of sensational growth,” Murrells commented.

“I've loved getting to know the business again recently, and what is exciting is that there is so much still to achieve. While Philip is stepping down, he's not stepping out of the business, and we will really benefit from his support with customer relationships and business development in his new role. I'm looking forward to working with Robert, Philip and the wider team as we take Hilton Foods to the next level and become the international food and supply chain partner of choice.”

Robert Watson, chairman of Hilton Foods, added: “Following Philip Heffer's decision to stand down, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Steve Murrells as Group CEO. Steve has an outstanding record as a leader within the food industry, and the board is confident that his considerable experience will be of huge benefit to Hilton Foods as we take the business to the next stage.

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Philip for everything he has contributed to Hilton Foods. He has been instrumental to the growth of the business we founded together in 1994 and I am extremely pleased that we will continue to benefit from his experience and expertise in his new advisory role.”

Hilton Foods is a leading international multi-protein producer, supplying customers and retail partners across the world with meat, seafood, vegan and vegetarian foods and meals. The business operates from 24 food processing, packing and logistics facilities across 19 markets in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, employing over 7,000 people.

More for you

Yvette Cooper

Home secretary Yvette Cooper speaking at the annual conference hosted by the NPCC and APCC on 19 November 2024

Photo: GOV.UK

Home secretary pledges to restore neighbourhood policing

Home secretary Yvette Cooper has announced plans to rebuild neighbourhood policing and combat surging shop theft as part of an ambitious programme of reform to policing.

In her first major speech at the annual conference hosted by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and Association of Police and Crime Commissioners on Tuesday, Cooper highlighted four of the key areas for reform: neighbourhood policing, police performance, structures and capabilities, crime prevention.

Keep ReadingShow less
Andrew Bailey acknowledges retailers' warning on job cuts
Bank of England building on Threadneedle Street, CLondon (Photo: iStock)
Getty Images/iStockphoto

Andrew Bailey acknowledges retailers' warning on job cuts

Retailers are right to warn of potential job cuts as a result of tax increases announced at last month’s budget, Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey has said.

Bailey appeared before the cross-party Treasury select committee on Tuesday (19), after almost 80 retailers claimed rising costs would make “job losses inevitable, and higher prices a certainty”.

Keep ReadingShow less
High Street shopping street
Photo: iStock

High Street Rental Auctions: Independent retailers urged to engage with local councils

The British Independent Retailers Association (Bira) has urged independent shop owners to reach out to their local councils about the government's newly announced High Street Rental Auction (HSRA) powers, which aim to tackle persistently vacant commercial properties on UK high streets.

Introduced through the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act 2023, the HSRA legislation will come into force on 2 December. It will give local authorities the ability to put the leases of long-term empty shops up for public auction, allowing businesses and community groups to secure short-term tenancies.

Keep ReadingShow less
Home energy smartmeter
Photo: iStock

Inflation jumps in October on higher energy bills

Britain's annual inflation rate jumped more than expected in October to back above the Bank of England's target as households and businesses faced higher energy bills, official data showed Wednesday.

The Consumer Prices Index reached 2.3 per cent from a three-year low of 1.7 percent in the 12 months to September, the Office for National Statistics said in a statement.

Keep ReadingShow less
Nestle

Nestle logos are pictured in the supermarket of Nestle headquarters in Vevey, Switzerland, February 13, 2020

REUTERS/Pierre Albouy/File Photo

Nestle to step up marketing investment; Waters and beverages to become standalone business

Nestle on Tuesday said it will increase investment in advertising and marketing to 9 per cent of sales by the end of 2025. The company also announced plans to make its waters and premium beverages activities a global standalone business from New Year.

Unveiling a plan to fuel and accelerate growth at a Capital Markets Day for investors and analysts, the Swiss group also said it aims cost savings of at least CHF 2.5 billion (£2.25bn) above existing initiatives by end 2027 to fund increased investments.

Keep ReadingShow less