Scottish Pig Producers has found a new chief executive to replace Gordon McKen when he retires early next year after 36 years with the group.
The Huntly-based farmers’ co-operative will appoint former head of industry development at Quality Meat Scotland (QMS) – Andy McGowan – to the top position.
He will join the company in January and work in tandem with Mr McKen for a number of months.
Mr McGowan said he was looking forward to taking on the role, which he described as “the best job in the British pig industry”.
“Scottish Pig Producers has always been an organisation which looks for solutions rather than problems and it is an approach which very much appeals to me,” he said.
Mr McGowan graduated with a both a degree in agriculture and a Masters in pig production from Aberdeen University.
Prior to working with QMS, he worked with breeding company PIC in eastern Europe, Russia and the Balkans. For the past year he has worked with Irish food genetics company – IdentiGEN – which uses DNA technology to help retailers and processors trace food products from farm to fork.
Scottish Pig Producers has a turnover of £58million; it markets between 9,500 and 10,000 pigs per week on behalf of 110 producers.