The Global Food Ingredients Group will be led by Mark White, currently Chief Executive of Sugars, Europe, who will assume the position of President, Global Food Ingredients from 1 October 2005.
The new division will focus on marketing and maximising the profitability of Tate & Lyle's current range of value added and functional food ingredients, as well as taking the Company into new ingredient areas and growth opportunities in the future.
Indeed, Tate & Lyle is determined to continue to pursue its ambitious plans despite warnings that proposed changes to the sugar regime could begin to affect business as soon as 2007.
The company recently announced capital projects to more than triple the sucralose production capacity acquired under the realignment of the Splenda Sucralose activities in April 2004, and is expanding its Sagamore and Loudon facilities in the US.
Tate & Lyle claims that the change to the structure and leadership of Tate & Lyle's food and industrial ingredients businesses underlines the firm's continuing commitment to delivering excellence in customer service.
"These changes will ensure that we are completely focused on meeting the needs of our customers and so drive further growth," said Tate & Lyle chief executive Iain Ferguson.
"This is another step towards achieving our vision to be consistently first in renewable ingredients. Only by providing our customers with a first class service and by offering them distinctive propositions based on the combined knowledge, expertise and efforts of our sales, marketing, customer service, R&D and manufacturing teams, will we make Tate & Lyle their partner of choice across the world.
"The establishment of the Global Food Ingredients Group will enable us to focus on meeting the changing needs of our customers and to capture the exciting opportunities for our food and industrial ingredients businesses. Working alongside our existing regional businesses, our Global Food Ingredients Group will make it possible to further develop and maximise our value added portfolio."
A successor to Mark White as chief executive of Sugars, Europe will be announced at a future date. Until this successor is appointed, with effect from 1 October 2005, Rod Burden, currently Financial Director of Sugars, Europe will act as Interim Chief Executive, Sugars, Europe in addition to his current responsibilities.