UK – Danish Crown, a global meat processing company, has appointed Andrew Cracknell as the CEO of its UK business Tulip, four months after Steve Francis stepped down from the role.

According to FoodBev, Cracknell started his career with the ABP Food Group more than 25 years ago.

Having worked in both the fresh and frozen divisions, he was appointed commercial director in 2009.

In 2014, he joined Noble Foods as CEO and in 2016 he took up the position of managing director of the red meat division within 2 Sisters Food Group.

Danish Crown said that Cracknell, 50, brings with him “considerable experience” of the meat industry and the UK retail landscape.

“We’re in the throes of a major transformation in the UK and our focus has been on finding a leader who possesses in-depth knowledge of production as well as being a commercial heavyweight.

I’m therefore extremely pleased to welcome Andrew on board,” said Jais Valeur, Group CEO at Danish Crown.

Commenting on his appointment, Cracknell said: “I am delighted to be joining Tulip Ltd and the Danish Crown family at such a key time.

With so much uncertainty in the market both domestically and globally, I believe that Tulip is strategically positioned to grow.

“The high degree of vertical integration, from farm through abattoir and processing to great quality products, will deliver short, secure and sustainable supply chains that are vital in today’s marketplace.

There is a lot to do and I am confident that by working together with our colleagues, our customers and suppliers we can succeed in building a sustainable future for the business.”

Cracknell takes up his position with immediate effect and takes over from Jais Valeur, who has had day-to-day responsibility for Tulip since June 2018.

Steve Francis had held the role since 2016, during which time he oversaw the restructuring of Tulip’s operations into four dedicated divisions.