High quality Meat Scotland restructures senior staff

14 September 2023

3 minute learn

High quality Meat Scotland (QMS) introduced final week the outcomes of a restructure to its senior staff because it builds its supply plan for the brand new five-year technique launched on the Royal Highland Present in June.

The restructure helps the highly-focused technique, Scotland; the selection for premium purple meat, which has three key pillars: provenance, productiveness and profitability, and planet and place. 

“These appointments will be sure that QMS is match to battle the challenges we’ve forward of us, and to ship this ambition that has been set out,” stated QMS chair Kate Rowell, talking at Friday’s SAMW convention.

Tom Gibson, previously QMS director of market growth, has taken on a brand new function as director of enterprise growth. He’ll lead on delivering QMS’s productiveness and profitability pillar, which is able to deliver the market growth and trade growth groups collectively underneath one director.

“It will align our provide chain growth exercise to make sure that we’re centered on delivering exercise that advantages the entire provide chain, making certain that we’re capable of prime and embrace innovation,” stated Rowell. 

The newly created function of communications and exterior affairs director can be crammed by Tom Maxwell, who has spent the final six years at SRUC as its communications supervisor.

“This new function recognises the necessity to inform our trade’s story – to commerce, to levy payers, and to choice makers,” Rowell stated. “Rising up on the household farm within the Scottish Borders, Tom is not any stranger to telling the story of rural Scotland, and he’ll lead our Planet and Place strategic pillar growing progressive new methods to speak our tales to the people who matter.”

The third senior appointment is Emma Heath, who turns into advertising director, and also will handle the manufacturers integrity staff who run QMS’s High quality Assurance schemes. Heath comes with over 25 years of expertise in foods and drinks advertising in Scotland, latterly being head of promoting at Nairns.

“Emma will lead on QMS’s Provenance strategic pillar, and can be pivotal in making certain that high quality assurance stays at the start a software to permit us to market the Scotch and Specifically Chosen Pork manufacturers. Taken collectively these are our largest asset, and by aligning them underneath one chief we’re excited to see how this will additional develop the Scotch Beef, Scotch Lamb and Specifically Chosen Pork manufacturers as belongings for the entire provide chain,” stated Rowell.

To additional strengthen areas of supply, QMS has made some extra appointments into the brand new groups.

Gemma Wark has joined QMS as cattle and sheep specialist inside the trade growth staff. Wark joins from Genus ABS the place she has labored for the final 5 years as a key account supervisor. Residing in Hawick, she studied at SRUC, Edinburgh the place she gained an HND in Animal Science and Bachelor of Science with Honours in Agriculture.

Emma McGowan has additionally joined the organisation as commerce growth government inside the market growth staff. Initially from Colorado, USA, she has lived in Scotland for 5 years, and is finishing her PhD in Agriculture and Meals Safety, having additionally lined subjects corresponding to animal welfare and meat-eating high quality as a part of her research.

“I’m delighted to have these excessive calibre, proficient people becoming a member of QMS at a time after we are embarking on our new five-year technique,” stated Sarah Millar, QMS chief government. “These roles are key in making certain we’re arrow-focussed about attaining our ambition and mission to make Scotland the selection for premium purple meat.”