Milligan-Smith joins Aramark as UK managing director

Aramark Northern Europe recently announced the appointment of Helen Milligan-Smith as managing director of Aramark UK Onshore. She took over from Lawrence Shirazian on 4th January.

Milligan-Smith rose to sector prominence as a finalist on the 2011 UK Apprentice, after which she took on the role of head of retail for Greggs UK. She joins Aramark UK from her role as head of M&S Simply Foods, taking charge of the caterer’s operational growth and innovation strategy for all UK markets.

Frank Gleeson, CEO of Aramark Northern Europe, said: “This is an excellent appointment for our UK business, as well as northern Europe overall. We’re not just excited about the skillset, expertise and experience that Helen will bring, but the character and personality we know will galvanise our entire business for the year ahead too. She is a dynamic and people-focused leader who gets culture, who delivers growth, who drives innovation, and who notably brings a wealth of experience in organisational strategy.”

Milligan-Smith added: “I couldn’t be happier with the challenge and opportunity ahead with Aramark. I was really impressed with their growth agenda, their innovation, and the business aspirations for the year ahead. We know the consumer and industry has changed immensely in the last 12 months, and I look forward to bringing my foodservice and food retail perspective to lead the next phase of the company’s UK growth.”