International food and drink group Princes has appointed Simon Harrison, chief commercial officer, as deputy managing director on the company’s board.

Simon Harrison, deputy managing director at Princes Group.

Simon joined Princes in 2021, moving from Coca-Cola European Partners (CCEP) with over 20 years of FMCG commercial experience and numerous leadership roles across brand and trade marketing, sales and operations. 

He will be supporting managing director Cameron Mackintosh in overseeing the Group’s operations – spanning from the UK to continental Europe and Mauritius – based at Princes’ Royal Liver Building headquarters in Liverpool. 

Simon Harrison said: “I’m delighted to be taking on this new role after two fantastic years with Princes. We have superb teams across our offices and sites, who are laser-focused on customers, consumers and harnessing new opportunities to realise the Group’s full potential. I’m looking forward to working alongside Cameron and the Board to deliver on our strategic imperatives, enhancing resilience and driving innovation to unlock further growth across the business.”

Cameron Mackintosh added: “Simon has been a real asset to the business and our customers since joining the Group in 2021, bringing a wealth of experience, knowledge and expertise to the role. I have no doubt that he will continue to deliver in this new position, as we embark on a new five-year strategy to ensure that Princes keeps pace with a fast-moving and evolving market.”

Today, Princes produces over 3,000 different food and drink products under its owned brands – including Princes brand, Napolina, the UK’s number one Italian cooking brand, and British soup producer, Crosse & Blackwell – as well as own-label and brands produced and distributed under licence such as Branston beans, Olivio oil and Swizzles squash.

Princes sources ingredients from over 40 countries and works with over 2,000 direct suppliers. The company employs 7,000 people around the world.