Southwell will join the co-manufacturer and co-packer from 18 August, bringing with her nearly 30 years of experience in the food and beverage industry.
In the past Southwell has worked for firms including Florette, Barry Callebaut, New York Bakery and Unilever, while she has spent the past three years as managing director of Hobart Equipment Division.
The appointment comes ahead of current managing director Stephen Dor stepping down after nearly 17 years with the firm, including 11 years as managing director.
Commenting on the news, Southwell said she was delighted to be joining March Foods at “such an exciting period in its journey”.
“With strong foundations, a talented team and trusted customer relationships already in place, my focus will be on accelerating innovation, fostering growth and keeping the company culture true to the trust, flexibility and dedication our partners associate with March Foods,” Southwell added.
“Leading with purpose and having great customer focus and team is at the heart of our current and future success.”
The CEO of March Foods parent company Delightful Food Group, Ricky Flax, said he was thrilled to welcome Southwell on board.
“Her leadership skills and forward thinking approach make Tracy the ideal person to lead March Foods into its next exciting stage,” Flax explained.
“Tracy’s extensive factory experience, from Florette and Barry Callebaut to Hobart, gives her unparalleled insight into the nuts and bolts of food production and her passion for sustainability, innovation, talent development and customer-first thinking is exactly what we need to future-proof our business.
“I’d also like to thank our outgoing MD Stephen Dor for his dedicated service to March Foods. Under his leadership, the business built a resilient operational framework and established a reputation for excellence. His contributions have positioned us for continued success and we wish him all the very best in his future roles.”
