James Mayer - President, Danone UK & Ireland

As President of Danone in the UK & Ireland, James leads a passionate group of 2,500 Danoners who are focussed on delivering health through food to as many consumers, patients and shoppers as possible.

Danone UK and Ireland is a jewel in the Danone global business, with leading positions in nutritional healthcare, baby feeding, beverages, dairy and plant-based foods. A certified B-Corp organisation, Danone UK & Ireland is well set to play a leading role in the food and nutrition industries for years to come, and James is responsible for driving this progress forward.

With over 20 years’ experience in Danone, James worked across many regions of the world before returning to the UK and Ireland business in late 2021. He is a strong believer in the power of the collective. Whether that’s harnessing the power and energy of internal teams or convening groups externally to bring health more firmly onto the agenda.

Outside of Danone, James lives in West London with his family and is passionate about almost all sports and travel. He’s a big Liverpool fan, but more locally is also a Brentford season ticket holder. He has also coached kids’ football and rugby teams for the last 15 years. 

Saqib Qureshi - Vice President, Operations

As Vice President of Operations in the UK & Ireland, Saqib leads multi-functional teams covering Danone’s end to end supply chain across all its commercial categories including dairy, beverages, plant-based and infant & medical nutrition.

 

Since joining Danone in 2008, he has held various local, regional, and global roles in multiple countries. Prior to this, he worked for Kraft Heinz for 13 years in various European supply chain roles. At the start of his extensive career, Saqib was a Graduate Avionics Engineer at British Airways. 


Saqib has a passion for the complexities and challenges that come with supply chain management. He also enjoys mentoring the young talents of the future and collaborating with industry partners & thought leaders in FMCG and Healthcare. 


Outside of work he enjoys spending valuable time with family and travelling round the world. His twin girls keep him active, while his older sons are starting their careers and finishing their studies. Saqib loves watching and participating in various sports, including supporting Manchester Utd and Lancashire Cricket Club.  

Nora Iskandar - Vice President, Human Resources

Nora is a distinguished HR leader and is Vice President of Human Resources for Danone in the UK and Ireland region.


With an impressive 24-year career spanning various industries, roles, and cultures, she has honed her expertise in creating environments where diversity is not just encouraged, but celebrated.


Her nine-year tenure at Danone stands as a testament to her commitment to aligning business success with personal growth. Nora is passionate about Danone's purpose-driven mission, which resonates deeply with her own values. Her approach to HR is a balance of strategic planning and genuine care for people, ensuring that every decision contributes to the collective success of the organisation and its individuals. As a leader, she believes in the power of people and the strength of a purposeful vision.


Outside the office, Nora enjoys the dynamic sport of paddle tennis, which reflects her energetic and strategic approach to both her professional and personal life. 

Olivier Lechanoine - Vice President, Specialised Nutrition

As Vice President for Danone Specialised Nutrition in the UK & Ireland, Olivier oversees Danone UK & Ireland’s specialised nutrition business, which includes Paediatric and Adult medical nutrition, as well as infant formula and baby food.

Over the last 10+ years, Olivier has held various commercial roles for Danone Specialised Nutrition, based in the UK, Netherlands and Belgium, with both local and global responsibilities.

He is also a Board member of the British Specialised Nutrition Association (BSNA), the trade association for the specialist nutrition industry in the UK. Previously, Olivier held commercial roles in consumer care and medical devices for Johnson & Johnson.

What drives Olivier every day at Danone is working with colleagues that share his passion and commitment to providing life-transforming nutrition at key moments of life. Outside of work, you are most likely to see him, most weekends, by the coast, enjoying his favourite pastimes: surfing, diving and swimming.

Richard Hall - Vice President, General Secretary

As Vice President General Secretary, Richard leads a talented team responsible for Corporate Communications, Public Affairs, Sustainability, Social Impact, B Corp, Legal, Regulatory & Compliance. He is also the Managing Director of Harrogate Spring Water, a business with a rich heritage that joined Danone in February 2020.


Richard has an extensive career history at Danone, which he joined in 1993. Starting off as a Sales Manager for grocery products, he went on to work for 25 years in Japan and South East Asia, working across a variety of roles in sales and marketing before becoming General Manager of Danone Waters in Japan. His roles have included General Manager for Evian and Volvic International in Asia Pacific, and from June 2012 – June 2018, he seconded to a role at Yakult Honsha in Tokyo, where he sat on the Board of Directors.


He returned to the UK in 2015, and has been in his current position since 2019.


Richard has a particular passion for the Danone Dual Project, helping to develop strategy that delivers economic performance and value to society at the same time. He particularly enjoys working for a company that has a clear purpose, helping people to eat more healthily and working with partners and NGOs to encourage change in the wider food system.


Outside of work, Richard enjoys running and is a sports fan, being a supporter of Arsenal men’s and women’s football. Thanks to his long stint overseas, Richard also has a love of Japanese food, culture and language.  

Sarah Cumming - Vice President, Marketing

As Vice President of Danone Healthy Nutrition Marketing in the UK and Ireland, Sarah drives the commercial growth of Danone’s dairy, beverages and plant-based products.

 

With over two decades of local, regional, and global experience in brand management, communications, and commercial marketing strategy, Sarah’s career has spanned companies such as Camelot, United Biscuits, Kellogg’s, PepsiCo, and most recently, Danone, which she joined in 2020.


Since then, Sarah has held various commercial roles, initially focusing on baby feeding brands. Sarah is inspired by Danone’s purpose to bring health through food to as many people as possible.


Outside of work, she’s kept busy by her two young children, but also finds joy in cooking and traveling.

John Hoare - Vice President, Channel and Customer Development

Shoppers and patients access Danone’s products through a broad range of channels -  from supermarkets to airlines,  all the way to hospitals and care homes.

As Vice President for Channel & Customer Development, John works with his team to build strategic partnerships with customers in order to promote healthy products and make Danone’s brands easily accessible. In his role, he is responsible for driving commitment from his teams and partners to support healthier lives through food and drink.

Having worked at Danone since 2012, John has enjoyed diverse opportunities to work in the UK, in global HQ in Paris, as well as in Australia and New Zealand. 

Outside of Danone John enjoys supporting small businesses in their development and mentors talent from across the FMCG industry.

Away from work John’s priority is to be as good a Dad, husband and son as he can be. He also really enjoys his sport. In particular, he is a life-long Southampton FC fan and also enjoys playing golf socially. In recent times, John has taken up cycling to help raise money for the GroceryAid charity, by participating in a London to Brussels bike ride. 

Sam Wolfenden - Vice President, Finance and Data

Sam is responsible for day to day and strategic financial planning in his role as Vice President of Finance and Data at Danone UK & Ireland.


Having joined Danone in 2024, Sam previously spent 18 years at PepsiCo, where he was most recently the Chief Financial Officer of the Northern Europe region, based in Amsterdam.


Prior to that, he worked in a variety of revenue management, commercial finance and strategy roles within the PepsiCo UK business, including Senior Director of RGM Europe and Commercial Strategy Director Europe.


Danone’s wide product range and portfolio of top tier brands attracted Sam into the role. He particularly relishes the opportunity to be involved in a healthcare business that impacts so many lives so positively.


Outside of work, Sam is a keen cook and enjoys running and cycling, the latter partly influenced by his time living in Amsterdam. He lives in Berkshire with his wife, two girls and labradoodle, Oscar. 

Killian Barry - Managing Director, Ireland

As Managing Director of Danone in Ireland, Killian is responsible for the oversight, implementation, and delivery of our strategy in Ireland. This includes growing the business with our many external partners and stakeholders, in line with Danone’s Impact journey.

 

Killian started his career in Financial Services with EY, before moving to FMCG, gaining 15 years of experience across roles in Danone and Unilever in Finance, Project Management, and Strategy. In 2020, Killian made the move from Finance to Commercial, and, in 2021, took on the role of Country Manager for Ireland before transitioning to General Management.


Danone’s cohesive purpose and strategy really excites Killian. He is committed to its mission, to bring health through food to as many people as possible and loves bringing healthy, great-tasting products to consumers to enjoy every day. Killian feels immensely proud seeing our products on shelves, knowing that every time a consumer or patient chooses one of our brands, they have made a healthier choice.


Killian enjoys watching all sports, with rugby a firm favourite. He is a keen fitness enthusiast, loves the outdoors and all forms of exercise.