New MD for Findus’s UK frozen food business
FROZEN food company Findus Group has promoted its chief marketing officer, Leendert den Hollander, to managing director of its UK frozen business.
The promotion comes as accounts filed at Companies House show that Findus UK, a holding company providing management services to its subsidiaries, saw turnover more than double to £8.4m for the 15 months to December 31, 2009.
The business posted an operating loss for the period of £12,000, compared to £352,000 in 2008. Loss after tax for the period increased from £1.26m to £2.57m.
Findus UK said the increase in losses was “primarlily attributable to amounts written off investments totalling £7.3m”.
Findus Group is one of Europe’s largest frozen food and seafood companies with annual turnover of more than £1.1bn turnover. It is the parent company of Young’s, Findus and The Seafood Company.
Findus Group was acquired by private equity firm Lion Capital in July 2008.
Mr den Hollander will lead Findus Group in the UK and Ireland, which is based in Grimsby and is the largest business in the group’s portfolio, employing more than 1,200 people across more than 10 sites.
He joined the group last December and has laid out the group’s marketing, sales and innovation strategy and was previously with Procter & Gamble for 15 years.
As a member of the group executive team, Mr den Hollander will continue to report to chief executive Chris Britton.
Mr Britton said: “I know Leendert is excited to take on this challenging new operational role and deliver customers and consumers a more inspiring frozen experience, establishing our vision of ‘Fresh Food, Frozen’ and bring our UK vision and strategy to life.”
