UK dairy cooperative Milk Link has appointed Neil Kennedy as its new CEO, succeeding Barry Nicholls who is to step down.

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Nicholls had been chief executive of the cooperative since 2000.


Kennedy joined Milk Link in 2004 as managing director of The Cheese Company, and has subsequently worked on the development of the co-op’s consumer division.


Chairman Ronnie Bell said that during Nicholls’ tenure as CEO, the company had grown from “a fledgling milk broker into the UK’s most progressive vertically integrated dairy products business”.


“This is, in no small part, due to the vision, commitment and leadership of Barry,” Bell added.
 
Nicholls had been intending to step down last year but had stayed on to oversee merger negotiations with another UK cooperative, First Milk.

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The two coops announced last month that they had abandoned plans to merge.


Nicholls will continue to act as a consultant for Milk Link and is to continue as chairman of The Dairy Council.

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