Industry 'titans' join board of Aberdeenshire food ingredients firm Macphie

Two “industry titans” have joined the board of Macphie, the Aberdeenshire-based food ingredients firm.

Norman Soutar and Jane Stewart join the team as non-executive directors, bringing with them a “wealth of leadership and industry expertise”, the firm said. With about three deades’ experience in the food sector, Soutar’s latest venture saw him managing the William Jackson Food Group as chief executive where he more than tripled the company’s revenue and oversaw a number of business disposals and acquisitions. As part of his 14 years at the food group, he helped Aunt Bessie’s build its brand reputation for helping make complicated recipes and techniques more user-friendly.

Stewart has some 25 years’ experience in industry, private equity investment and corporate finance and is said to bring extensive experience of helping innovative businesses to grow. She holds a number of non-executive positions in high growth companies, including Edinburgh-based waste tech firm Topolytics and the Offshore Renewable Energy Catapult. She has recently been recognised by Innovate UK as one of the UK’s top “Women in Innovation”.

Macphie, which is headquartered on the 2,000-acre Glenbervie Estate in south Aberdeenshire, was established in 1928 and now employs more than 250 people across its three sites. Chairman Alastair Macphie said: “Both Jane and Norman bring a suite of extensive business acumen and useful insights to their new roles at Macphie. Their invaluable experience and passion for the business will be a great benefit towards driving improved performance and growth across the board.”

Soutar said: “To be part of the evolution and growth of a food industry leader like Macphie is something that I am very much looking forward to. One of the firm’s core aims is to make life easier for chefs and bakers and this is something I can wholeheartedly get behind, having a passion for it myself.”

Stewart added: “It’s an honour to be named as one of Macphie’s new non-exec directors. Macphie has a strong presence both locally and globally and I am excited to bring another perspective to help the team to capitalise on forthcoming opportunities and to deliver their major plans for the future.”