Glasgow-based manufacturer McGhee’s Bakery has put its faith in youth by appointing a pair in their 20s to leadership roles.
Jessica Richmond, 28, has been named the new group head of HR, while 27-year-old Gordon Moon assumes the position of head of engineering.
Richmond has a master’s degree in HR and has been working at McGhee’s since January 2020. “When I first joined, there was only one person in the HR team,” she said. “Because there was so much going on, I was thrown in at the deep end. It was without a doubt the best way to learn.”
With the workforce swelling to almost 500 employees, there is now an increased focus on HR. “We are currently rolling out a new system to prepare us for the next period of growth,” noted Richmond.
“I am so proud to step into this role. Trust is massive in any workplace, but that’s especially true in a family business. They value attitude over age: people who genuinely care about the business and are willing to work hard,” she added.
Moon began his career as an apprentice and joined McGhee’s as a bakery engineer in May 2024. A little over a year later, he was promoted to head of engineering, leading a seven-strong team for maintaining production equipment across production sites including its main facility in Glasgow’s Port Dundas area plus bakeries in Kilmarnock and Motherwell.
“We have a huge variety of individual machines across different production lines running 24/7, so no two days are the same,” commented Moon. “It’s a big responsibility, but in many ways, it feels like what I was born to do.
“The directors are on the floor all day, every day. Seeing that level of commitment makes you want to match it,” he said.
Known for its morning rolls, potato scones, pancakes, doughnuts, and empire biscuits, McGhee’s is now run by fourth generation family members and marks its 90th anniversary this year. It recently promoted Aisling McGhee – a chartered accountant who joined the firm at 28 – to commercial director and 32-year-old Russell McGhee to operations director.
“As a family business, we don’t have the kind of structured graduate schemes or clearly defined career ladders you’d find in large corporations, so we have to think differently about how we attract and retain talented people,” said Aisling McGhee.
“That means placing a real emphasis on trust and opportunity. By giving people meaningful responsibility early on, we allow them to grow with the business and develop a genuine sense of ownership.
“Jessica and Gordon exemplify that approach. Both have shown real pride in the business, a strong work ethic and a willingness to take responsibility, and their progression into senior leadership roles reflects the trust they’ve earned,” she added.
The latest appointments come amid a significant growth period for McGhee’s including a 10% rise in sales last year to £53.7m – turnover was around £34m just five years ago. It became the second ‘most chosen’ brand by Scottish shoppers in 2025, only behind Irn Bru.
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