Changeovers

• Andrew Niznik​ has returned to Southwall Indian ready meals producer Noon Products as technical director after a spell running an Indian restaurant in Sweden. He was Noon's senior technical manager prior to his departure early in 2004.
• Improve, the recently formed food and drink sector skills council for the UK, has made two new appointments. Karen Brown​ is director of employer engagement and will lead a team of eight managers across the UK. The team is tasked to identify skill gaps in employers' workforces with the aim of ensuring that recruitment and training support is available to fill these gaps. Brown was a director at the Protocol Group, a trainer in the retail and hospitality sectors.

Fay Deakin​, a member of Brown's team, has been appointed regional manager for the South East and London. She joins from the Chartered Management Institute where she was also a regional manager.

• Former commercial director at Hazlewood Pizza Simon Staddon​ has joined Finsbury Food Group as md of its Nicholas and Harris subsidiary which supplies speciality breads. He will have operational responsibility for the company and reports directly to Finsbury's chief executive Dave Brooks. Campbell Mitchell, who has been md for the past 12 months, will revert to his original role of commercial consultant.
• Steven Walker​ is the new director of cereals and cereal processing at Campden & Chorleywood Food Research Association (CCFRA), having previously been director of research. He will lead a team of more than 50 at CCFRA's office in Chipping Campden.
• Processing and Packaging Machinery Association (PPMA) general secretary Andrew Manly is leaving the association to take up the position of director general of the Manufacturing Technologies Association. He has played a pivotal role building the PPMA.
• Jane Edwards​, former Heinz brand director for the UK & Ireland, has returned from maternity leave to take up the position of European marketing and innovation director. Scott Garrett, who was acting in Edwards' absence, is now vice president, brands for UK & Ireland.
• Young's Seafood has expanded its commercial team by appointing Yvonne Adam​ as business development controller -- chilled brand. She joins from Premier Foods.

Chris Robinson​ has joined dried fruit specialist Sundora Foods as factory manager. He becomes one of two factory managers at the company and will supervise a new late shift, while existing manager Andy Bates takes responsibility for the early shift.

Robinson joins Sundora from a waste materials recycling company, but gained food manufacturing experience with Frontline Foods, part of Uniq, where he supervised the production of chilled and frozen poultry products.