John Sunderland, chief executive officer of soft drinks and confectionery group Cadbury Schweppes, has been elected 2003 president of the Food and Drink Federation (FDF), the industry body for UK food and drink manufacturers.

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Sunderland said: “It is an honour to be asked to represent the food and drink manufacturing industry, one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the UK. Britain’s food and drink producers – along with the whole food chain – will face many challenges over the next few years, and FDF has a key role in addressing these.”


Appointed CEO in September 1996, John Sunderland joined Cadbury Limited in 1968.


Other FDF officers elected are:



  • Deputy president: Gavin Neath, chairman of Unilever Bestfoods UK;
  • Treasurer and deputy president: Ross Warburton, director of Warburtons and chairman of Richmond Foods;
  • Vice president: Iain Ferguson, senior vice president, corporate development, Unilever Plc and NV;
  • Vice president: Kirit Pathak OBE, chairman and CEO of Patak Foods.

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