20 October 2017
ForFarmers announces that Iain Gardner, member of the ForFarmers Executive Committee and Chief Operating Officer (‘COO’) responsible for ForFarmers United Kingdom (‘UK’), is stepping down on 31 December 2017. Steven Read, also member of ForFarmers’ Executive Committee and currently Director Supply Chain, is appointed as his successor.
Iain Gardner has been with ForFarmers for 29 years. Since the acquisition of BOCM PAULS by ForFarmers in July 2012, he was a member of the Executive Committee of ForFarmers, responsible for ForFarmers UK. At the time of the acquisition the agreement was made that Iain Gardner would step down when the appropriate time would arrive.
‘Iain Gardner has been instrumental in leading the organisation to become the leading feed company in the United Kingdom. In the past 4 years, he has implemented the Horizon 2020 strategy, integrated several acquisitions and laid the foundations of many transformational projects to prepare the organisation for future challenges. We thank him for his commitment and contribution’ states Yoram Knoop, CEO of ForFarmers.
Steven Read has been with ForFarmers for 31 years. As Supply Chain Director, Steven Read is currently responsible for Purchasing and Formulation and for Manufacturing & Logistics and based in Lochem (the Netherlands). Yoram Knoop comments: ‘Steven is the natural and logical person to be appointed COO of ForFarmers UK, given his broad experience and successful implementation of changes in the ForFarmers organisation and that fact that he has previously been part of the UK senior management team for many years’. An external search for the successor to Steven Read has been initiated.