Karro names food industry expert as executive chairman

KARRO Food Group, the £540m turnover pork supplier to the retail and food service industries, has hired a leading food industry figure to take on the role of executive chairman.

Di Walker joins Yorkshire-based Karro from Greencore Group, a £1.2bn turnover international maker of convenience foods, where she was chief operating officer. Ms Walker joined Greencore in 2004 as managing director of the chilled sauce and soups category. In 2009, she was appointed to the group board as UK chief executive.

Before Greencore, Ms Walker held a number of senior roles at Hazlewood Foods and Hibernia Foods, having started her career at Leeds-based Asda as a graduate trainee undertaking a number of buying and marketing roles. The appointment comes eight months after the acquisition of the business by Leeds-based private equity firm Endless from Vion, which resulted in the relocation of its HQ to Malton.

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Last night, Endless said that Ms Walker’s appointment followed a successful period for Karro since its management buyout, which “has seen the business accelerate its return to profitability”.

The group also recently secured a £60m funding package from GE Capital, providing Karro with access to extra working capital and greater capacity to invest in the business alongside the support from Endless.

Ms Walker said: “I am delighted to be joining Karro at such an exciting time for the business.

“Karro is one of the key suppliers of British pork in the UK, delivering all stages of pork production, from farming through to slaughter, butchery and process- ing.”

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Aidan Robson, investment director at Endless, said: “We are delighted to welcome Di to lead the board and her appointment reflects the ambitions we all share for the business.

“Di brings with her huge experience in the food sector and her appointment adds to the momentum already achieved.”

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