pladis completes female-dominated leadership team with new appointment

pladis, the global snacking company behind some of the UK’s most loved and iconic brands, including McVitie’s, Jacob’s and Carr’s, has appointed Taryn-Lisa Molle-McConnell to the role of Vice President of R&D, UK & Ireland.

Completing MD David Murray’s predominantly female Leadership Team line-up, Molle-McConnell will be responsible for helping pladis UK & Ireland to grow the company’s category-leading reputation for innovation within sweet and savoury biscuits and cakes.

“Taryn brings a wealth of experience as an R&D leader, with over 20 years of strategic research and development roles in various FMCG companies across European and global markets,” explains David Murray – Managing Director at pladis UK&I.

Molle-McConnell joins pladis having worked at companies such as AVI, the largest biscuit producer in South Africa, McCormick, Mondelēz, and most recently, PepsiCo, where she held the position of Global Senior Director for Flavour & Seasoning.

In addition to a degree in Food Technology, Molle-McConnell has over a decade of experience in the sugar and sweetener sector where she received training as a confectioner and completed multiple courses at the Sugar Milling Research Institute and Campden BRI.

“I am looking forward to working across such a fantastic portfolio of category-leading brands,” says Molle-McConnell. “pladis has a much envied reputation for creating game-changing innovation and I look forward to the challenge of working with a first class team as we look to build on such an incredible legacy.”

The appointment of Molle-McConnell marks the completion of the company’s leadership team under Murray, who joined pladis as UK & Ireland MD in 2019.

Out of 13 leadership positions, nine are now held by talented female leaders, including the most recent appointments- CFO Shruti Chauhan and Procurement Director, Jennifer Parise, with Florence Brain appointed Impulse Sales Director, Anne Collard joining as Strategy & Insights Director and Asli Özen Turhan as CMO. They joined Nina Sparks, VP Supply Chain; Claire Wright, Commercialisation Director; and Sinead McFarlane, Strategy & Transformation Director. Craig Spickett, Vice President HR, Commercial Planning Director Graham Taylor, and Trevor Callander, VP Grocery, complete the line up.

David Murray says, “I am delighted to welcome Taryn to the team. Our UK&I business has been going from strength to strength with our industry leading pipeline of innovation being key to that growth.

"Taryn’s wealth of experience will no doubt charge this agenda even further for us. With a strong leadership team in place across all parts of the UK&I business we are well placed to keep building our heritage brands including McVitie’s, Carrs’s and Jacobs’, while continuing to delight the great British public with these snacking sensations.”