Jamie Dunning joins Danish Crown as the new UK CEO and Executive Vice President for Danish Crown UK, and he brings extensive knowledge of the British retail sector, most recently from a role as CEO in the food industry and previously as UK Sales Vice President.
“We have worked very purposefully to find a candidate with broad experience from both sales and production, and most importantly, a proven ability to drive growth, and we have found that in Jamie Dunning. He brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of what it takes to create growth in a food company, and that is exactly what we need for our UK business. At the same time, he has a strong understanding of agriculture, which is a great advantage,” says Niels Ulrich Duedahl, Group CEO of Danish Crown.
Throughout his youth up until completing university, Jamie worked in agriculture, first on his grandfather’s farm and later for a local farmer.
After university, he began his career at the confectionery giant, Cadbury, where he started as a manufacturing graduate, before several years in sales and marketing. He later joined Mars, where he was initially responsible for chocolate sales to the UK market. He subsequently moved to the US to lead the transformation of M&M’s Retail, a global experiential retail business, before returning to the UK.
Most recently, Jamie Dunning served as CEO of Krispy Kreme UK and Ireland, overseeing 140 stores, 16 bakeries, and 2,000 employees.
“Agriculture is in my blood, so in many ways, it’s a dream come true to join a farmer-owned food company and have the opportunity to ensure the sustainability of the business for generations. At the same time, the challenge of solving the current issues and driving growth in Danish Crown UK is highly motivating for me, so I’m really looking forward to getting started,” says Jamie Dunning.
Danish Crown’s UK business employs around 1,000 people and generates annual revenue of approximately DKK 4 billion. Danish Crown UK has been designated as a growth case for Danish Crown and is to be developed with a strong and local leadership team fully focused on running the British factories efficiently and serving customers across the country.
“The UK has a massive need for food imports — in fact, they import about half of all the bacon they consume. Danish pork has a strong reputation in the minds of British retailers, but we have neglected to develop our position in recent years. That needs to change, and our goal is to double our UK business within the next five years. In my view, Jamie has exactly the right capabilities to lead that effort,” says Niels Ulrich Duedahl.
“It’s essential that we continuously develop our offering to British customers. That can happen in many ways. Of course, innovation is non-negotiable, but to me, it’s also about approaching all matters with the right mindset and values and delivering an exceptional service to ensure we become an attractive long-term partner across the UK food market. In that regard, it’s inspiring to see how Danish Crown’s owners are prioritizing a getable food value chain, and I can’t wait to join the team and get started,” says Jamie Dunning.
Jamie Dunning will take up his role on 1 September.
CV – Jamie Dunning
2022 – 2024: President, Krispy Kreme UK&I
2016 –2022: President and General Manager, Mars Retail Group
2013 – 2015: Vice President, Sales, Mars Chocolate UK
2011 – 2013: Sales Director, Grocery and Convenience, Mars Chocolate UK
1996 – 2009: Various roles in Sales, Marketing, and Manufacturing, Cadbury PLC