Darren Shapland has joined AG Barr as an independent non-executive director and chair of the board, effective immediately.
Shapland brings four decades of experience across financial, operational and governance within major UK retail, leisure and other consumer businesses.
During his executive career, he served as chief financial officer at Sainsbury’s and Superdrug, following senior finance and operational leadership roles at The Burton Group. Shapland was also CEO at Carpetright.
His 40-year career has also included a number of public board roles, having served as a non-executive chair at Topps Tiles and Poundland. He was also a non-executive director (NED) and audit committee chair at Ladbrokes and Ferguson.
He currently serves as the non-executive chair of Hollywood Bowl Group and as an independent NED at JD Sports Fashion.
Shapland’s appointment at AG Barr will also see him become chair of the nomination committee and a member of the remuneration and ESG committees.
Susan Barratt has now stepped down from the position of interim chair and resumes her role as senior independent director. Louise Smalley has also stepped down as interim senior independent director; she will continue to serve on the board as an independent NED and chair of the remuneration committee.
Euan Sutherland, CEO of AG Barr, said: “On behalf of the entire team, I want to thank Susan for her exceptionally steady leadership as interim chair over the past few months, and I am very pleased that the business will continue to benefit from her deep commercial insight.
“We are incredibly excited to welcome Darren to AG Barr. His wealth of consumer, commercial, and financial expertise will be invaluable as we continue to drive long-term value for our shareholders, build our brand momentum, and execute our growth strategy.”
Shapland added: “AG BARR is a business with a truly unique heritage, powerful brands, and a highly robust financial foundation. I am delighted to be taking over as chair at such a pivotal time in the company’s journey.
“I look forward to working with Euan and Susan, and the rest of the board and executive leadership team to support the business in achieving its long-term strategic objectives.”
