IGD chief executive Joanne Denney-Finch OBE has been appointed as the new chair of the Food Chain Centre. She will replace Dame Deirdre Hutton who had been chair of the Food Chain Centre since its inception in May 2002 and is stepping down to become chair of the Food Standards Agency in July.

In Hutton’s three year tenure, the Food Chain Centre has firmly established itself as a testing ground for new ways to raise profitability. Among its successes have been:

• a major programme to build teamwork through the chain (‘Value Chain Analysis’), seeking to eliminate unnecessary, non-value adding costs, which can exceed the total profitability of many chains;

• the collation of 75 case studies showcasing inspirational role models;

• the creation of the dunnhumby Academy of Market Research at Kent Business School giving farmers access to the country’s biggest shopper database;

• the formation of the Cereals Industry Forum with Home Grown Cereals Association and a major contribution to the Red Meat Industry Forum;

• the creation of a network of 20 business improvement groups in horticulture and a near three-fold increase in the total number of farmers that conduct benchmarking.

Dame Deirdre said: “Creating the Food Chain Centre from The Curry Commission’s vision and seeing its quick impact has been highly rewarding. When the project began I felt sure there were ways to cut costs and add value in the chain through better teamwork. Looking back now over three years I couldn’t have estimated how substantial those benefits have been or how big a contribution the Food Chain Centre has made. I am delighted at what has proven possible. I welcome Joanne and know she will thrive on the challenge that lies ahead.”

Joanne Denney-Finch’s priority is to ensure that the Food Chain Centre’s work benefits as many people as possible by engaging a wide number of partners.

She said: “Deirdre has done a tremendous job in establishing the Food Chain Centre. The results have been very exciting and hugely important for domestic food producers. I’m a passionate supporter of British farming and food processing and together I believe we can create a positive future. I now look forward to the challenge of taking forward the Food Chain Centre and working with partners across the chain to make sure that as many people as possible can benefit from its work.”