Former Genius chief exec Roz Cuschieri to chair Emily Crisps

Former Genius Gluten Free boss Roz Cuschieri has been appointed chairman of snack brand Emily Crisps.

Cuschieri joins the healthy snack business following recent investment in the firm by Inverleith LLP and investor club Hothouse Brands.

She began her career in the FMCG sector at United Biscuits in sales and consumer marketing, followed by a five years at Scottish Courage in senior trade and category marketing roles. Cuschieri joined Warburtons in 1998 and subsequently spent five years as commercial director.

Joining Genius Gluten Free in 2012 at chief executive, she helped develop the business to sales of £50m and oversaw the expansion from nine employees to more than 600 across multiple sites.

Emily Crisps was founded in 2014 by partners Emily Wong and Alessandro Ascani as a healthier alternative to traditional potato crisps and fruit snacks.

“Emily Crisps is an exciting brand, created by two talented entrepreneurs,” said Cuschieri, adding the business operates in a growing market and taps key consumer trends.

“I believe it has a bright future as a healthy indulgence snack and I look forward to working closely with the team.”

Wong said she was “absolutely delighted”  Cuschieri is joining Emily Crisps as chairman.

“With her vast experience and expertise within the FMCG industry, we know Roz is the right person to help steer our journey towards becoming the healthy indulgence snack of choice across the UK and further afield,” she added.

Joining the Emily Crisps board of directors alongside Cuschieri and the two founders is Paul Skipworth, former chief executive of The Glenmorangie Company and Partner L Capital and a partner at Inverleith LLP and Hothouse Brand Ltd. He joins Emily Crisps a non-executive director.