Dairy chief to head Young’s seafood owner

Sofina Foods has appointed one of the food industry’s highest profile figures as the new chief executive for its European division which includes Young’s, the UK’s largest seafood company.

He is Ash Amirahmadi (pictured) currently managing director of Arla UK, which means he switches from the problems of the dairy industry to the challenges of buying cod, haddock and salmon.

He takes over in August from Michael Latifi, who stepped in as CEO for Sofina Foods Europe in 2021 when the Canadian parent bought Young’s and other operations in the Eight Fifty Food Group.

Latifi remains the founder, chairman and chief executive officer of Sofina Foods Inc in Canada.

Amirahmadi is regarded as a leading figure in the UK food sector and was awarded the OBE earlier this year.

Born in Iran, he came to the UK as a youngster to escape the impact of the Iraq-Iran war.

After graduating, he began his career with Unilever and spent time in various businesses before joining Arla in 2004.

Sofina Foods Europe, a subsidiary of Sofina Foods Inc., is one of Europe’s leading manufacturers of processed protein products for both retail and foodservice customers via its Karro, Young’s Seafood and Greenland Seafood subsidiaries and has operations across the UK, Ireland, France and Germany.

Latifi said: “We are delighted to welcome Ash to the Sofina family. I am confident that Ash’s deep experience and reputation within the grocery and farming sectors will help us deliver ongoing success across our European operations and demonstrate our continued commitment to quality and innovation.

“Ash joins us at an important time for the industry. He will help Sofina Foods Europe lead the way in developing a more sustainable supply chain, capable of producing great-tasting, affordable and high-quality products for consumers and greatly contribute to our vision.”

Amirahmadi added: “I am delighted to be joining Sofina Foods and relishing the opportunity to work with Michael Latifi and the Sofina Foods Europe team to build on their significant progress in transforming the business towards category leadership.

“Sofina Foods has a track record of working in partnership with its customers and suppliers, developing sustainable and resilient supply chains, investing in its people, adding value to categories, and long-term commitment to social responsibility across multiple stakeholders.”