Food group unveils new chief financial officer

Liverpool-based baking ingredients firm Real Good Food today unveiled a new chief financial officer.

The firm has announced the appointment of Maribeth Keeling to the role of Group CFO, and to the company’s board with immediate effect.

Maribeth is currently the finance director of the group’s cake decoration division, one of the two profitable, continuing businesses which together now comprise the majority of the group.

Maribeth, 54, has a decade’s experience of working within a variety of listed and private businesses in senior finance, business improvement, integration and company secretarial roles.

She will assume her new responsibilities, in addition to her current role, with immediate effect.

Hugh Cawley, Chief Executive said: “We are delighted that Maribeth has agreed to assume the role of group CFO and we look forward to working with her to continue the improvement in performance of Real Good Food.”

Maribeth’s appointment follows the departure of former CFO Harveen Rai, in March this year.

In a statement to the Stock Exchange on March 13, the firm said that, “with the recent streamlining of the group to two semi-autonomous business units, it has mutually agreed with Harveen Rai, chief financial officer, that she will step down from the board and leave the company at the end of March”.

The announcement confirmed that Hugh Cawley, a chartered accountant, would assume the plc duties of the chief financial officer on an interim basis, supported by the group’s financial controller, Nikki Lee, until a new group chief financial officer was appointed.

In September last year Mr Cawley announced annual losses of £25.167m, compared with a £6.236m loss the previous year. He said: “Last year was one which we will look back on with little pride or satisfaction.”