The board of Dairy UK has appointed Dr Judith Bryans as its chief executive.

Bryans, currently director of The Dairy Council, will take up her new position on 1 October. She succeeds director general Jim Begg following his retirement.

“We are delighted to appoint someone of the calibre of Judith to lead Dairy UK,” said Dairy UK chairman, Billy Keane. “She is held in the highest regard in the UK and internationally by colleagues within the dairy industry and by decision makers at the highest level.”

The Dairy Council will continue as a separate organisation and a new Director of Nutrition will be appointed to lead its work in communicating scientific and nutritional information to health professionals and the public, Dairy UK said.