The Grocer – 20 July 2019

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Defra’s Emily Miles

becomes CEO of FSA

Miles boasts a civil service career spanning 20 years

Kevin White
The Food Standards
Agency has appointed
Defra’s Emily Miles as its
new CEO, replacing Jason
Feeney, who retired last
month.
Miles, who joins the
FSA in September, boasts
a civil service career
spanning almost 20 years
and is currently the act-
ing director general for
Defra’s Brexit delivery
group.
She joined Defra in
November 2015 as its
group director of strat-
egy, and has co-ordi-
nated work on the
domestic consequences
of Brexit for Defra since
the referendum in 2016.
Prior to her work with
Defra, Miles largely spe-
cialised in home affairs
at the Home Office,

Downing Street and

Cabinet Office.

Her previous roles

have included director

of policing at the Home

Office; director for the

programme to clear

the UK’s historic asy-

lum caseload backlog in

the UK Border Agency;

and the programme

director for the close of

the National Policing

Improvement Agency

and the establishment of

the College of Policing.

She was also a policy

advisor on home affairs

to former prime minis-

ter Tony Blair from 2002

to 2005.

Miles brought “an

impressive track record

in developing strategy

and excellent outcomes

across government, in

Defra, the Cabinet Office

and the Home Office”,

said FSA chair Heather

Hancock.

“She joins us at a

pivotal moment in

food regulation, as we

implement our new

regulatory regime

outside the EU, manage

the short-term impacts

of leaving the EU, and

drive forward our

modernisation plans,”

she added.

Miles was “delighted”

to be joining the FSA

and said she was look-

ing forward to “lead-

ing the department as

it faces the challenges

of EU exit while deliv-

ering its ambitious pro-

gramme of regulatory

transformation”.

KBE Drinks was

established in the UK 30

years ago focusing on the

European development

of India’s number one

beer brand, Kingfisher.

The business is

growing rapidly and is

now seeking a driven

business development

manager. The role will

involve developing and

managing a selection

of premium Indian

restaurants and groups,

as well as a selection of

Asian restaurant chains

from China, Thailand

and Japan.

Interested? See p55.

i want that job

my alternative cv

What was your first

job? I worked as a retail

sales assistant in John

Lewis over the Christmas

period when I was 17. I

was too young to use the

tills, so I spent hour upon

hour hanging clothes on

rails – all good learning...

What’s been your worst

job interview? I went to

an assessment centre

for a graduate scheme a

few years ago and at the

end we got put into ‘yes’

and ‘no’ rooms – it all felt

very ‘X Factor’!

What was the first music

single you bought?

Stronger by Britney

Spears.

How do you describe

your job to your mates? I

create and execute excit-

ing innovation and com-

munication plans for the

fastest growing bread

brand – Allinson’s – and

eat a lot of yummy bread

in the process.

What is the most reward-

ing part of your job?

Seeing new products I’ve

launched on shelf.

What is the least reward-

ing part? Hearing con-

sumers vilify packaged

bread!

What is your motto in

life? You only live once.

If you were allowed one

dream perk, what would

it be? Bring your pets to

work, I love animals!

Do you have any pho-

bias? Injections. Fainting

in Boots was an all-time

low... Fortunately, my

love of travelling has

forced me into lots of

immunisation jabs so I’m

well on my way to con-

quering that fear!

If you could change one

thing in grocery, what

would it be? The limited

shelf space for smaller

brands.

What luxury would you

have on a desert island?

A good (very long) book.

What animal most

reflects your personal-

ity? A meerkat – inquis-

itive, observant and

happiest when sur-

rounded by others.

What’s your favourite

film and why? The Harry

Potter series – growing

up reading the books and

seeing them come alive

was magical as a child.

What’s been your most

embarrassing moment?

Falling off a treadmill in

the gym and having to

sign an incident form in

front of everyone.

Which celebrity would

you most like to work

with and why? Michelle

Obama – I’ve just read

her book and it was

brilliant!

What would your death

row meal be? I try to be

healthy – so this would

be my opportunity to go

mad. Deep fried, cheese

covered, sugar laden eve-

rything please!

Charlotte Peterson
Brand manager, Allinson’s
Bread, Allied Bakeries, on
Britney Spears, injections
and Harry Potter

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