LONDON, ENGLAND — UK Flour Millers has appointed Alistair Gale as its chief executive, taking over from Alex Waugh, director general, who has led the organization (formerly nabim) for more than two decades.

Gale will join UK Flour Millers on June 1. He currently works at the Port of London Authority (PLA), where he is director of corporate affairs and strategy. Prior to the PLA, Gale worked for Blue Circle Industries PLC/Lafarge, Cement UK, the UK’s largest cement manufacturer. 

“Flour is an ingredient in about a third of our supermarket foods, and the UK flour milling sector is vital to the nation,” Gale said.  “I’m looking forward to joining in the early summer, continuing the transformation in profile and representation the association has been evolving through over recent years.”

Waugh will retire from UK Flour Millers after more than 30 years’ service. He has worked across a number of other representative organizations, including the UK Rice Association and European Flour Millers, and played a leading role in a number of sectoral committees and organizations advising government and industry.

“Alex’s passion for the milling industry is evident to all of us as members,” said Roger Butler, president of UK Flour millers and chairman of Whitworth Bros and Carr’s flour mills. “He has helped us address many challenges and changes in his time with the association. He will leave with our heartfelt thanks for an amazingly well-done job.”

Some 2,500 people are employed in UK flour milling, working in an industry with 51 mills across the country. UK Flour Millers is the industry’s representative body, collating and sharing the collective views and positions of members. The association speaks on behalf of its members to government, policy makers, the media and other stakeholders.

The UK flour milling industry processes 6.2 million tonnes of wheat to produce almost 5 million tonnes of flour every year, including starch and industrial uses of flour.