Steve Challouma and Jo Smith are joining Compleat Food Group’s senior leadership team.
Challouma will take on the role of chief growth officer, effective immediately, while Smith will join as chief product officer later this month.
Challouma’s move to Compleat Food represents a break away from the frozen foods sector where he has operated for many years. Most recently, he served as chief marketing officer at Nomad Foods, where he was responsible for commercial strategy and category performance, alongside leading well-known brands including Goodfella’s, Aunt Bessie’s and Findus.
Working across 22 international markets, he played an essential role in developing a unified commercial approach to support customer value and growth across the portfolio.
Prior to this, he was general manager of Birds Eye UK and Ireland, where he led the business through a period of significant transformation.
At Compleat, he will be responsible for driving the business’ category-led growth agenda. He will focus on bringing together group strategy and execution, category vision, and consumer insights to deliver long-term customer value.
Joining the group from Hilton Foods, Smith will oversee Compleat’s product development and innovation.
She brings extensive experience across chilled private label food manufacturing and category development, and a strong track record of building customer partnerships. Before Hilton Foods, she led product development for Greencore’s food to go business.
Compleat says the appointments come at a “significant point” in its growth journey. Since its inception in 2021, the business has quickly become one of the UK’s leading food manufacturers. Today it employs more than 6,800 people across 20 sites, generating annual revenues of almost £1.5 billion.
Commenting on the new hires, Nick Reade, UK managing director at The Compleat Food Group, said: “Together, they significantly strengthen our leadership team and will play a key role in helping us deliver our ambitions for the future and continuing our mission to create Food to Feel Good.”
Challouma added: “What immediately attracted me to The Compleat Food Group was the breadth of its portfolio and the strength of its category positions.
“From plant-based foods and Mediterranean-deli products to savoury pastry, dips, soups and sauces, the business has built an impressive combination of category-leading own label capabilities and leading brands. I’m excited to build on that momentum and help shape the next phase of the group’s journey.”
Smith also shared her thoughts: “The Compleat Food Group has established a strong reputation for quality, innovation and customer partnership across a diverse range of categories.
“I’m looking forward to joining at such an important stage and working with teams across the business to continue developing outstanding products that deliver for customers and consumers.”
