Macphie has named Ed Widdowson as its new chief executive officer, marking a transition to fourth-generation family leadership of the Aberdeenshire-based ingredients manufacturer.
Effective from 1 April 2025, the appointment sees Widdowson – nephew of former chairman Alastair Macphie – replace Andy Stapley, who steps down after six and a half years at the helm.
Widdowson’s latest promotion at Macphie forms part of a long-term succession plan to grow the 97-year-old family-run firm, including positioning it for international expansion.
Prior to joining the company in 2017, Widdowson built a career in strategy, sales and marketing, spending eight years at Procter & Gamble in the UK and Switzerland and working across global brands including Gillette, Pampers, and Oral-B before becoming head of sales for Duracell UK.
He began as head of sales at Macphie, where he drove significant growth within the bakery and on-the-go sector, before being promoted to site director in 2022 at the company’s manufacturing headquarters in Glenbervie.
In 2023, Widdowson moved into his most recent role of strategy, people & sustainability director – a newly created position designed to give greater weight to these three key business areas at Macphie, which has held B Corp certification since 2015.
“It’s an honour to take on this role and lead Macphie into its next phase of evolution,” commented Widdowson. “This company has an incredible heritage, and as a family business, we have a deep-rooted practice of investing in our people, our products and our sustainability efforts.
“Looking forward, my time will be dedicated to building stronger customer partnerships and driving projects that reduce our carbon output whilst delivering operational efficiencies,” he added.
Widdowson expressed that the business was at an exciting stage as it continued its capital investment programme into improving the infrastructure of factories, creating capacity, and building more sustainable methods of production. In addition to its Glenbervie estate, which is spread over 2,000 acres and includes headquarters, two wind turbines, and a biomass facility, Macphie also operates a 25,000 sq ft factory in Tannochside near Glasgow which completed a £4m refurbishment in 2022.
The company’s most recent financial results for the year ended 31 March 2024 showed turnover was up 7% to £73.3m, with operating profit leaping 46% on last year to hit £5.4m.
Global footprint
Macphie plans to strengthen its position as a leading independent food ingredients manufacturer, focusing on delivering premium ready-to-use sauces, inclusions, and bakery products to its restaurant, bakery, retail and food-to-go customers.
While noting that “the UK will always be our core market” and being “proud of our Scottish roots”, Widdowson said he was equally excited to be taking products and service further afield. “Our ambition is to expand Macphie’s global footprint, particularly in high-growth markets and we have already made significant progress in several regions including the Middle East,” he said, revealing the opening of the firm’s first overseas facility in Dubai later this year.
Norman Soutar, who took over as chairman last year, called Widdowson’s appointment “a key element in aligning the organisation to deliver our next phase of growth”.
“As an experienced business leader, Ed embodies the culture of Macphie. He cares deeply about our people and seeks to create initiatives that will improve the lives of our colleagues, their families and the communities where we operate,” commented Soutar.
“Ed is rightly proud of his role in achieving and retaining Macphie’s B Corp status over the last decade. He has ensured that we all remain committed to maintaining high standards of social and environmental performance while delivering profitable growth.”
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