Müller completes integration, maps out strategy, confirms CFO appointment

Müller Milk & Ingredients (MMI) CEO Patrick Müller has confirmed completion of Britain’s largest ever dairy industry integration, set out his strategy for the future of the £1.7bn fresh milk, cream, butter and ingredients business, and confirmed a key executive board appointment.

Brian Watson has been appointed as Chief Finance Officer at Müller Milk & Ingredients. He joins the business from Marmon, a $7.7bn Berkshire Hathaway company operating in the supermarket and food service sector.

The appointment comes as MMI confirms completion of the biggest integration the UK dairy industry has ever seen - merging Dairy Crest’s dairy operations into Müller’s existing fresh milk operation to create Müller Milk & Ingredients, which purchases 25% of Britain’s farm gate milk.

Patrick Müller, MMI CEO said:

“I am delighted to welcome Brian as we enter the next phase of our development. This is a key appointment and his experience will augment an executive team who are highlymotivated to make our vision a reality.

“This business acquired Dairy Crest’s liquid milk dairies to build scale and unlock greater efficiencies and benefit for customers. Bringing these two very large organisations together has been a huge and unprecedented task with multiple challenges; requiring the alignment of multiple systems and processes.

“I am delighted to say that our team has now delivered a single organisation and platform for the future, on the schedule which we initially set out. We now have a competitive and unique proposition having invested heavily in highly efficient factories which optimise energy, water and wastage; and in a comprehensive logistics network.

“We have acquired our own blow moulding facilities and we are determined to lead the agenda in plastics through increased use of recycled materials, light-weighting and to drive further innovation.

“In agriculture we are innovating strongly to ensure that dairy farmers can opt to protect themselves from the corrosive effects of extreme market volatility, and in farming’s next generation so that they are equipped and inspired to run dairy businesses which become exemplars for our industry.

“We are now ready to realise our vision to be Britain’s dairy leader. That means achieving a sustainable and progressive business and leveraging the capability we now have to execute with excellence, every time. We know that great customer service is a pre-requisite.

“We will help customers with whom we have strategic partnerships to deliver distinctive and ownable propositions, including added value products in the fresh milk aisle so that they can meet the promises they make to consumers. We have the capability, flexibility and management autonomy in the UK to do this.

“We will also target profitable growth in channels and sectors of the fresh milk category where we currently don’t have a presence and we will, of course, leverage the Müller brand, a top 10 FMCG brand in the UK.

“And with Brexit looming, we will offer certainty. Our customers know that our UK manufacturing footprint gives continuity, security of supply with products which are sourced from British farms, and manufactured here in Britain.”