NBGI Private Equity (NBGIPE) has appointed food and drinks industry veteran Tim Kelly as the second member of a panel of senior industry advisers.
NBGIPE, a private equity firm that typically invests in UK businesses of between GBP5m and GBP50m in enterprise value, earlier this month announced that it was increasing its strategic focus around three core sectors in which it has developed a strong track record: support services, healthcare and food manufacturing. As part of this initiative, the firm made its first appointment as senior adviser – former Rentokil Initial senior executive Sandy Young.
Kelly (pictured) began his career with Unilever, before joining Coca-Cola Enterprises Europe. He was subsequently marketing director at Diageo plc in Ireland and president of Guinness Bass Import USA.
Most recently he has held the position of chief operating officer at Constellation Brands, a NYSE-listed wine and spirits company, and COO at Rank Hovis McDougall, where he was responsible for eight stand-alone business units with combined sales of GBP800m and 3,000 staff. He was part of the management team that lead the successful IPO of RHM, joining the board of Premier Foods following its purchase of RHM in 2007.
Currently Kelly serves as non-executive director for DEFRA (AHDB Board) and for Burts Potato Chips, and is a senior advisor across the consumer and retail sector for KPMG.
The recruitment of Kelly and Young will be followed by the appointment of a senior adviser in the healthcare space, to be announced shortly.
Mark Owen, founder director at NBGIPE, says: “Support services, healthcare and food manufacturing are areas in which we have a strong competitive advantage and are able to deliver consistent, high-quality results. The creation of a panel of highly experienced senior advisers is a key element of our increased focus on these core sectors and we are delighted to welcome Tim to the team.”
Kelly says: “Over the past decade and more, NBGIPE have delivered some exceptional results in the food and drink sector and it is a privilege to be joining the team. I look forward to playing an active role in the firm’s current and future investments, and look forward to helping to deliver on the many opportunities in this space.”
