Former Co-op boss Steve Murrells joins Hilton Foods as chief executive

Meat processing firm Hilton Foods has announced the appointment of Steve Murrells as its new group chief executive.

Murrells, who stepped down as the group chief executive of Co-op last year, will assume the role on 3 July and join the board of directors.

He succeeds Philip Heffer, who has decided to stand down from the board and step back from running the company after almost 30 years with Hilton Foods, including the past five years as group chief executive.

Heffer will remain with the business as co-founder and advisor to the Hilton Foods board.

“After the work we’ve done to grow Hilton Foods and expand our commercial model over the past five years, this is a good moment to step back from running the business. Hilton Foods today is a major international business, with sales and operations across Europe, Asia and the Pacific, offering a broad range of quality products, from meat and seafood to vegan and vegetarian products,” Heffer said.

“Steve was one of our first customers in the 1990s and he has an excellent track record within the food industry. Although I am stepping down from the board, I’m proud to remain a significant shareholder and I look forward to supporting the continued growth of the business in my new role.”

Murrells’ connection to the business dates back almost 30 years, when he was one of Hilton Foods’ first customers and commercial partners at Tesco.

After serving as chief executive of Tulip Ltd from 2009 to 2012, he was appointed as chief executive of Co-op Food, where he oversaw a turnaround in performance and repositioned the business as a leading convenience player. This was followed by five years as group chief executive of Co-op Group, leading the business through the Covid-19 pandemic, repositioning the group’s Insurance and Probate businesses, and growing its online capabilities.

Murrells was made a CBE in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to the food supply chain.

“Back in the 1990s and early 2000s, I was the Meat Category Director at Tesco when Hilton was pioneering centrally packed meat, and the way that Philip and the team have grown the business since then has been incredible, with fifteen years of sensational growth,” Murrells commented.

“I’ve loved getting to know the business again recently, and what is exciting is that there is so much still to achieve. While Philip is stepping down, he’s not stepping out of the business, and we will really benefit from his support with customer relationships and business development in his new role. I’m looking forward to working with Robert, Philip and the wider team as we take Hilton Foods to the next level and become the international food and supply chain partner of choice.”

Robert Watson, chairman of Hilton Foods, added: “Following Philip Heffer’s decision to stand down, we are delighted to announce the appointment of Steve Murrells as Group CEO. Steve has an outstanding record as a leader within the food industry, and the board is confident that his considerable experience will be of huge benefit to Hilton Foods as we take the business to the next stage.

“On behalf of the Board, I want to thank Philip for everything he has contributed to Hilton Foods. He has been instrumental to the growth of the business we founded together in 1994 and I am extremely pleased that we will continue to benefit from his experience and expertise in his new advisory role.”

Hilton Foods is a leading international multi-protein producer, supplying customers and retail partners across the world with meat, seafood, vegan and vegetarian foods and meals. The business operates from 24 food processing, packing and logistics facilities across 19 markets in Europe, Asia Pacific and North America, employing over 7,000 people.