This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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New Deputy Chairman for SFIA
18/12/2002
UK Fisheries Ministers have appointed Mr John Whitehead as the new Deputy Chairman of the Sea Fish Industry Authority (SFIA), it was announced today.
Mr Whitehead is an independent business adviser and also the former Managing Director of convenience foods manufacturers Top Hat Holdings Ltd. He has over 30 years experience in the agriculture and food industry and has been Meat and Livestock Commissioner as well as a member of the Food From Britain Council, which involved working closely with a number of Scottish salmon and seafood company and assisting their exports.
The annual salary for the post, for 1 to 11/2 days per week, is £18,297. The appointment is from 1 January 2003 to 31 March 2006.
Mr Whitehead does not hold any other Ministerial appointments and has not declared a political interest.
Mr Whitehead's career has ranged from primary production, through manufacturing, sales and marketing, to general management. He was a council member for Food From Britain between 1989 and 1997 and has served as a commissioner on the Meat and Livestock Commission since 1998. He has also served on the Scottish Action Diet Group (1995) and the Scottish Food Strategy Group (1993 to 1995). Since 2001 he has been Chairman of the Scottish Society for Crop Research. He lives in Leven, Fife.
Established in 1981 to promote the efficiency of the sea fish industry, the 12 member Sea Fish Industry Authority has powers to undertake research and development, give advice, provide training and promote the marketing and consumption of fish. The SFIA consists of four independent members, and eight members who represent a range of industry interests.