Executive team
Meet the leaders at British Sugar
Keith Packer
Managing Director
Keith Packer
Managing Director
Keith joined British Sugar as Managing Director in June 2023 from 2 Sisters Group, where he was Managing Director of the Meal Solutions, UK Poultry and Frozen divisions since 2015. Here he headed a business that creates industry-leading prepared meals and pizzas for major UK supermarkets.
Prior to this, he was the Chief Executive of Typhoo Tea for 5 years, and he has also held key commercial roles within Britvic and Pfizer Consumer Healthcare and Allied Bakeries – another ABF business, where he was a National Account Manager in the late 1990s. He started his management career with Sainsburys.
Keith brings a keen focus on quality, operational and commercial excellence to British Sugar, and looks forward to continuing to embed our strategies and building relationships with customers and farmers, whilst reducing carbon intensity.
Scott Sutton
Commercial Director
Scott Sutton
Commercial Director
Scott joined British Sugar as Head of Sales in January 2018 after nine years at Thornton Sugar Ltd, latterly as Director of Sales. Prior to that he was also Head of Sales at AB Mauri - another member of the ABF group.
As Commercial Director, Scott is responsible for sugar sales, co-products, sugar trading, customer services and logistics teams. This enables him to lead and influence them to deliver our customer promises as well as our strategy to be the Supplier of Choice in the UK market.
Pablo Puerta
Supply Chain Director
Pablo Puerta
Supply Chain Director
Pablo joined British Sugar in October 2018 to take up the newly created role of Supply Chain Director.
Having started his career over 30 years ago Pablo has spent much of his time in the sugar industry in Spain and most recently was Operations Director at Azucarera, British Sugar’s sister company.
Pablo left Azucarera for five years to work for J. García Carrión, the leading wine and juice supplier in Madrid, as Director of Industry and Investments. He returned in 2011.
Pablo is responsible for the smooth running of our four factories, from processing to packaging and ensuring we continue to meet the needs of our customers.
Yagnesh Patel
Finance Director
Yagnesh Patel
Finance Director
Yagnesh joined British Sugar as Finance Director in June 2024 after three years at Vivergo Fuels Limited where he was Finance Director at the bioethanol business. He has over 29 years of commodity and financial trading experience, both within the UK and internationally.
Yagnesh is no stranger to the sugar industry having worked in numerous roles throughout his career, including as Global Controller at Bunge Inc. sugar and bioenergy division, a global agribusiness and food company, and as Director of Finance and Operations at Toyota Tsusho in their sugar division. He is experienced in commodity businesses including softs, grains, metals, and energy. He has also held senior management roles at ED&F Man and Engelhart Commodities, having started his management career at Tate & Lyle.
As Finance Director, Yagnesh is responsible for governing the company’s financial operations, as well as driving the successful delivery of the company’s vision and strategy.
Maria Franklin
People Director (on maternity leave)
Maria Franklin
People Director
Maria joined British Sugar in March 2020 after ten years at Marston’s PLC, where she partnered the Marston’s Beer Company Board during a time of significant organisational change including acquisitions, to enable and drive a growth agenda.
Since joining British Sugar, she has played a key role within the Supply Chain Leadership Team, as they've developed their operating model to enable a performance led approach with a customer focus. She joined the British Sugar Executive Team as People Director in February 2023.
Steve Lazenby
People Director (interim)
Steve Lazenby
People Director (interim)
Steve joined British Sugar as Interim People Director in June 2024, having previously worked with the business on several change projects in the past.
Steve started his career at Sainsbury’s as a graduate trainee and went on to develop his career with companies including Thames Water, SC Johnson and the EasyGroup. In 2011, Steve seized the opportunity to work in South-East Asia to design and implement a range of organisational development programmes for a global property services company.
For the last 13 years, Steve has undertaken both interim HR and Transformation Director roles across a wide range of sectors in the UK including FMCG, property services, education and transport.
Daniel Green
Agriculture Director
Daniel Green
Agriculture Director
Dan has a breadth of experience ranging from his family arable farming background, as well as working through various operational roles since joining British Sugar in 2003.
Having graduated from the University of Sheffield with a degree in Chemical Engineering, he joined British Sugar’s graduate programme based at Cantley sugar factory and progressed through various roles at both Cantley and Wissington before becoming Site General Manager at Cantley in 2016.
Dan has been Agriculture Director since 2022, and his focus remains on strengthening collaborative relationships with growers, as well as across the wider industry to ensure the homegrown sugar beet industry continues to thrive.
Dominic Mooney
Head of Safety, Health & Environment
Dominic Mooney
Head of Safety, Health & Environment
Dominic has been with ABF since 2017. He joined British Sugar in June 2020 as Head of Safety & Health. He has spent over 20 years working in fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and high hazard industries in engineering and compliance functions.
Before joining British Sugar, Dominic was Head of HSE at Speedibake in ABF’s Grocery division. Prior to his career in ABF, he worked for Unilever and British Nuclear Fuels. Whilst at Unilever, he was chair of BAMA’s Operational Safety Committee.
Dominic is responsible for British Sugar’s overall safety and health strategy, leading teams across all our sites on everything from on-site safety and risk management, to supporting mental health and wellbeing. He also leads on operations aspects of our environment strategy.
Olivia Seccombe
Head of Corporate Affairs
Olivia Seccombe
Head of Corporate Affairs
Olivia joined British Sugar in May 2022 as Head of Corporate Affairs, from the National Farmers’ Union where she spent five years as Head of External Affairs.
Having started her career as a Political Researcher in Westminster, she has worked in communications multiple roles in the agriculture sector, including at Dairy Crest Group and the Countryside Alliance.
Olivia is responsible for British Sugar’s wider Corporate Affairs strategy, including external affairs, advocacy and media relations, as well as our internal communications and communications with our sugar beet growers.
Rob Moane
Transformation Director
Rob Moane
Transformation Director
Rob has worked for British Sugar for over 23 years in a variety of roles from shift operations manager, through to technical support, people development and business performance.
Having studied chemical engineering at university, Rob joined British Sugar after graduating to work in Allscott and Newark factories before moving to Wissington where he led teams in the supply chain and across the wider operational portfolio.
Rob has most recently been appointed Transformation Director and is responsible for business performance, strategy, and innovation.
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