UK-based ready meal manufacturer Oscar Mayer has appointed a new CEO and a new chairman, weeks after a change of control at the business.
Ian Toal, the former 2 Sisters Food Group and Ornua Foods executive, has been named Oscar Mayer’s new chief executive.
Food-industry veteran, Clive Sharpe, who has held chairman and CEO roles at a number of UK food manufacturers, has been hired as non-executive chairman.
Just Food has approached Oscar Mayer to ask about the reasons for the changes.
News of the appointments comes three weeks after it emerged Oscar Mayer had been taken over by debt providers Pemberton Asset Management to “restore profitability”.
Toal, who worked in the Middle East from 2016 to 2021, will succeed Stuart Burgin as chief executive.
After spending time at the business this month, Toal will join on 3 July. He will be based at the company’s site in Erith in south-east London. Sharp will take up his role later in the month.
“The whole sector is facing a number of challenges as we seek to navigate our way through inflationary pressures. Nonetheless, together, Clive and I are confident in Oscar Mayer’s ability to build on the company’s positive future outlook and very much look forward to working with the whole team to achieve notable success,” Toal said.
Toal was president of the food division of foodservice operator Alshaya for two-and-a-half years between 2016 and 2019. He then led the logistics, restaurant and food-manufacturing business of Al-Faisaliah Group up to the end of 2021.
Between 2014 and 2016, Toal was the group managing director for 2 Sisters Food Group’s chilled foods division. He held the position of CEO for Ornua Foods (formerly known as Adams Foods) from 2011 to 2014.
Sharpe’s previous positions include stints as the CEO of Homepride Foods, Golden Wonder and WT Foods, the owner of Noon Products, which is now owned by Pilgrim’s Pride. He has also been chairman of Burton’s Biscuit Company, Quorn Foods and First Milk.
Sharpe is chairman of Novomins Nutrition, which makes gummy vitamins, a vegan quick service restaurant, Clean Kitchen Club, and Adam Handling Restaurant Group.
German private-equity company Deutsche Beteiligungs (DBAG) – Oscar Mayer’s former majority shareholder – remains an investor in the Portsmouth-headquartered business.
Oscar Mayer is a UK manufacturer of own-brand packaged ready-meals and a supplier to UK supermarket chains. It makes products sold under brands such as The Gym Kitchen and Bosh.
