Sir Ben Gill steps down as chairman of Westbury Dairies

Sir Ben Gill has stepped down as chairman of Westbury Dairies amid management restructuring by the Wiltshire processor.

The joint venture company’s board announced Sir Ben’s departure today (14 March) as part of a full-scale strategic review of the business.

The factory’s operational management team will now report directly to the board.

A spokesman for Westbury Dairies said: “Sir Ben Gill was brought in on a fixed term contract at a time when the practical operation of the plant had to be stabilised and to provide leadership and political expertise against a background of CAP reform.

“Changes in intervention support and wholesale milk supply profiles have meant the role of Westbury has changed.”

Expansion into processing by some of the co-operatives operating the plant (Dairy Farmers of Britain, First Milk and Milk Link) meant there were opportunities to integrate with Westbury Dairies and reduce costs, he added.