Marks & Spencer food technology lead joins fiin Board

The Food Industry Intelligence Network (fiin) has appointed new Board member, Debbie Barnes of Marks & Spencer, succeeding Paul Dobson of Premier Foods. She will also take up the role as Chair of fiin’s Technical Steering Group. 

Debbie brings a wealth of experience to fiin, with 14 years at Marks & Spencer, and technical expertise across chilled and ambient foods and raw material supply chains. Prior to joining the retail sector, Debbie worked within food manufacturing for 15 years, in technical and operational roles including technical director of multiple sites with end-to-end accountability for food safety, quality, integrity, legality and sustainability.  Debbie is also an accredited counter fraud specialist and leads the Marks & Spencer Food Integrity and Intelligence Programme.  

Her long-standing commitment to fiin includes her active role on the Technical Steering Group since its inception, where she has played a vital role in guiding members on maintaining the integrity of food supply chains and safeguarding consumer interests.

Helen Sisson, co-chair of the fiin Board, said: “We sincerely thank Paul for his exceptional contributions to fiin since its establishment in 2015. As a founding Board member, Paul played a pivotal role in shaping fiin’s vision and was instrumental in driving cross-category expertise and delivering additional value to the membership through his role as Chair of the Technical Steering Group. 

We are thrilled to welcome Debbie to the fiin Board and look forward to her valuable contribution to fiin’s continued success.”