Group Managing Director of the Jamaica Producers' Group, Jeffrey Hall, on Friday, announced switches in the conglomerate's management team, saying it was in keeping with the turnaround plan he was guiding.

The appointments include an interim replacement for Andrew Lord, the head of Serious Food Company, who resigned last week.

Hall assumed the top job in Jamaica Producers (JP) on July 1, replacing his father Dr. Marshall Hall, who has retired.

Jeffrey also signalled that the group was expecting to report a loss in its third quarter, saying some of the fallout is linked to damage by Hurricane Dean.

The size of the loss is expected to "reflect negatively on the entire year's performance," he said.

Producers, a $10 billion company, eked out a slight $11 million profit in its second quarter, but was more than $90 million in deficit in its half-yearly report to June 16, 2007.

The younger Hall is attempting to reshape Producers into a company less dependent on its traditional banana business. The company is now building out its processed and fresh-food segment as a growth market.

The group MD's new appointments include Charles Czerkawski as group chief financial officer.

Czerkawski has held senior positions at global firms Kraft Foods, Pepsi-Cola Bottling, Gillette and Iron Mountain

Paul Samuels, the group financial controller who had replaced Peter Morris, adds company secretary to his portfolio.

Vince Price is onboard as interim managing director of Serious Food - now the largest operating division of the group.

serious food group distribution

Hall says he will also be naming two new appointments to JP's commercial divisions - the Serious Food Group and Producers Holdings - and has not ruled out promotions from within.

The Serious Food Group consists of JP's juice and smoothie, fresh desserts, soups and chilled distribution businesses in the United Kingdom.

Producers Holdings is the vehicle created for JP's farming, logistics and snack-food businesses.

Hall said Friday, that while JP had taken steps to realign both businesses towards growth opportunities, neither of them was delivering a satisfactory level of performance.

Hall's appointments fill voids created in the company earlier this year with the departure of Morris as group chief operating officer; Lord; Kermitt McGann as company secretary, and Jennifer Goodall.

"We are confident that the group has adopted the right long-term strategy for building shareholder value and that the priorities for the senior-management team going forward were around effective execution of that strategy," said Hall.

business@gleanerjm.com