Leatherhead Food Research has named Geoff Spriegel as its new chairman of the board. Spriegel—whose background includes positions as director of BRC Global Standards & Technical Services, British Retail Consortium (BRC); technical director, Sainsbury’s Supermarkets; director of quality assurance, Grand Metropolitan (now Diageo); group technical manager, St Ivel/Unigate and consultancy work with Arla Foods UK, the Food Standards Agency, the RSPCA Good Business Awards, ASDA, GlaxoSmithKline, the Global Food Safety Initiative and the British Standards Institute—holds a degree in microbiology, an MSc in chemical engineering, and a PhD in microbiology and biochemistry.
Paul Berryman, Leatherhead CEO, commented, "We are thrilled that Geoff has accepted the chairmanship. His mixture of technical expertise and business acumen will be of huge benefit to the board and the company as a whole. Geoff also brings with him a wealth of experience from both the manufacturing and retailing sectors."
Spriegel said, "I am delighted to accept this position. I am looking forward to working with Paul and his team to further develop Leatherhead’s capability to provide expert support to the global food and drink industry."
