Professor Lisa Ackerley, familiar to many for her appearances on the likes of Watchdog and Rogue Restaurants, is one of three Special Advisers appointed to support the board of ambitious risk services provider Acoura. She is joined by Ex-Marks and Spencer Technical Director David Gregory and ex-Vion CEO Ton Christiaanse.
Acoura has over 20 years’ experience of working with businesses across the British hospitality and leisure sector. Specialising in food safety advice, environmental health training, e-learning solutions and specialist audits it counts the likes of JD Wetherspoon, La Tasca, Mitchells and Butlers, MacDonald Hotels, Gordon Ramsay and Bourne Leisure among its customers.
Operating across the food and drink supply chain it provides services to over 2,000 bars and restaurants, 1,200 food processors and a number of major retailers. Its breadth of food and drink supply chain services also means it is one of the few European suppliers of genuine field to fork traceability services – a key factor in battling food fraud and product quality issues.
Professor Ackerley, better known as the Hygiene Doctor, regularly appears on TV and radio offering expert opinion on consumer health matters, workplace environmental health issue and legislative changes. A Chartered Environmental Health Practitioner, she is also a Visiting Professor of Environmental Health at Salford University, Specialist Food Safety Adviser at the Royal Society of Public Health, and was presented with “The most Significant Contribution to Food Safety Award” from the Society of Food Hygiene Technology in 2011. She was also recently appointed as a The Food Safety Adviser to the British Hospitality Association.
Gregory is making the move as he prepares to step down as chair of the food assurance scheme Red Tractor at the end of November after six years in office. A director of 2 Sisters Food Group and visiting professor at the University of Reading Centre for Food Security, Gregory also spent 26 years working for Marks & Spencer from where he retired as Technical Director in 2009.
Ton Christiaanse will bring 25 years of international expertise from his time spent working at board level with global food and drink and FMCG organisations such as Sara Lee, Chiquita and Unilever.
The three heavyweight hires will help Acoura consolidate its position as one of the key players in risk services for the hospitality sector.
Group Chair Paul Egan believes the expertise provided by the addition of the three new special advisers will help to provide Acoura’s clients with the high-level expert advice and analysis that their businesses demand.
“The food service and hospitality sectors face a number of health and safety issues, and with increased consumer expectations operators are under growing pressure to provide continually high quality products and services in safe, clean surroundings
“These appointments will help us address the challenges our customers face head-on and will enable us to better help them grow their business while continuing to protect consumers and staff.
“Lisa, David and Ton are extremely experienced sector specialists and will be able to pass their knowledge and insight on to our clients across the sector.
“Their appointment marks another stage in Acoura’s development as a key player in a vital industry and their guidance will underpin the growth strategy for the company in the years ahead.”
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