Inclusion and Diversity in UK Food and Drink Manufacturing

Jill Coyle (Apprenticeship Manager Nestlé UK&I, Member Chair of the FDF’s Employment and Skills Forum) will be chairing a panel of Inclusion & Diversity experts to discuss the key issues facing our sector in this important policy area.

This event will also mark the launch of a new FDF report on Inclusion and Diversity in UK food and drink manufacturing and the FDF’s Inclusion and Diversity network, a new informal network for sharing best practice in the area of workplace inclusion and diversity.

Panel:

• Jill Coyle, Apprenticeship Manager, Nestlé UK&I (chair)
• Sam Akinluyi, UK&I Managing Director at innocent drinks, and Founder Partner of PSALT
• Johanna Dickinson, HR Director, KP Snacks
• Pranav Chopra, CEO, NEMI Teas
• Griffin Shiel, Policy Executive, FDF

Speaker Profiles:

Pranav Chopra, Director, NEMI Teas

A Social Entrepreneur, ex-Management Consultant, ACA and MBA graduate. Pranav is a passionate social entrepreneur who has been involved in a number of ventures with a social development agenda at their core with most recently focusing on empowering refugees through employment in the UK (NEMI Teas). He has also worked as a Management Consultant for over 10 years where he advised a diverse portfolio of market-leading clients in a range of industries across different regions.

Jill Coyle, Apprenticeship Manager, Nestlé UK & Ireland

Jill joined Nestlé in 2014 as part of the Nestlé Academy team focusing on attracting, selecting and developing young talent.  Jill’s key focus has been shaping the company’s apprenticeship strategy through the recent reforms as well as driving a more consistent approach across Nestlé’s UK sites and businesses.  Jill and the Nestlé team has played its part in developing a number of Trailblazer apprentice standards, specifically for the food and drink sector, as well as being a significant apprentice ambassador and advocate.  Jill is a passionate champion for apprenticeships and alongside many of Nestlé’s talented individuals, actively engages with schools, colleges and careers events across the country, to promote the benefits.

Jill is presently chair of the Food & Drink Federation’s Employment & Skills Forum, in addition to other industry roles.

Sam Akinluyi, UK&I Managing Director at innocent drinks, and Founder Partner of PSALT

Sam is the UK&I Managing Director at innocent drinks.  He is also founder of PSALT, a non-profit focused on making things possible for people irrespective of their background.

PSALT is currently working to increasing Black representation within the consumer goods industry.  Crucially, PSALT also works with organisations to create cultures and environments that seek out and encourage difference.

Johanna Dickinson, HR Director, KP Snacks

Johanna began her career in operational management positions with Pizza Hut and Gap before transitioning her career into HR with Gap in 2001.

She moved to Air France to broaden her HR experience, before returning to food and drink with Coca-Cola Enterprises in 2005.  Johanna progressed in HR through a variety of generalist roles and in compensation & benefits.

Johanna joined KP Snacks in October 2014 as HR Director and has been a key member of the executive team who established a new culture after the business was bought by Intersnack in 2013. The business has grown significantly, helped by strategic acquisitions of Butterkist, Tyrrells and popchips. In 2021 KP was ranked 19 in the Best Big Companies to work for.

Since January 2020, Johanna has been working majority of her time internationally across 11 management units as Group Director HR; though she still has responsibility for HR in the UK.

Johanna is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and enjoys supporting the Welfare team at GroceryAid.

Johanna lives in Chalfont St Peter with her husband James and has two sons 11 and 9. 

Griffin Shiel, Policy Executive, FDF

Griffin Shiel is a Policy Executive within the Food and Drink Federation’s Industry Growth team. He focuses on a range of policy areas primarily concerning employment and access to labour with inclusion & diversity in food and drink manufacturing his main focus since joining the FDF in January 2021.

Griffin has prior experience working for trade associations having interned with the Wine and Spirit Trade Association and has an MSc in International Public Policy from Queen Mary University of London.