About Our Key Personnel
Dole Fresh UK prides itself on having an outstanding team of people working for us, headed up by our Key Personnel.
Key Personnel
Jean-Marie Graux - Managing Director
Jean- Marie Graux is the Managing Director for Dole Fresh UK overseeing the running of the whole business. Jean-Marie began his career in 1996 when he joined Compagnie Fruitiere UK as a Procurement Manager whilst also becoming involved in quality issues. In 1999 he joined Dole Fresh UK (JP Fruit as it was known then) as a technical manager for bananas before becoming Group Technical Manager in 2002. During 2003 and 2004 he also completed an MBA from the London Business School. In a change of direction he became Commercial Director in 2006 and then Operations Director in 2007 before undertaking the role of Managing Director at the end of 2009.
Karen Scott - Finance Director
Karen Scott is Dole Fresh UK’s Financial Director. Karen began her career training as a chartered accountant with KPMG where she worked her way up to an Audit Manager working with various companies including Dole Fresh UK. At the later stages of her time at KPMG she went on secondment to AT&T to work on various transaction service projects. Karen was recruited into Dole Fresh UK in 2000 and by 2003 she had taken up her current role as the company’s Financial Director.
Tony Frankham - Commercial Director
Tony is the Dole Fresh UK Commercial Director responsible for the Key Account Management, Procurement and Commercial Support teams. His background in the UK fresh produce supply industry started in 1987 at Mack Multiples and following roles in finance, supply chain, account management and procurement in their fruit business units moved into his role in 2001 as Commercial Director responsible for managing the Mack Salad Business Unit. In 2006 he joined exotic vegetable and prepared vegetable specialist Rannoch’s Food group as Commercial Director. He has been with the group since 2008, joining Compagnie Fruitière UK in September 2008 and then moving to Dole Fresh UK in July 2009 following the integration of both UK businesses.
Giles Shapley - Customer Strategy and Marketing Director
Giles is the Dole Fresh UK Customer Strategy and Marketing Director and has been with the business since January 2008. His background has spanned the UK Fresh Produce retail and marketing industries. Giles originally worked for Sainsbury’s in their retail business as a Produce Manager after which he moved to Geest working on both the sales and procurement functions. He then spent nine years working with TNS as their Client Service Director for Fresh Foods, following which he moved on to work for Safeway. During his time with the retailer he held senior roles within Category Management, Operations and Trading. After Morrisons acquisition of Safeway Giles moved back into the retail consultancy world holding board positions with both Leatherhead Food International and Market Tools Inc.
Richard Jennings - Operations Director
Richard has recently been appointed the Operations director for Dole Fresh UK. He began his career with eight years in the dairy industry as a foreman before working for Salvensens working his way up from a supervisor to a warehouse manager in charge of a 300,000 sq ft site. Richard then joined Dole as the warehouse manager for the Gillingham site then running all the third party sites before taking up his current role as the Operations Director.
David Alder - Group Technical Manager
David is the Dole Fresh UK Group Technical Manager and has been with the business since January 2009. Graduating from Harper Adams with a degree in Agriculture, David started his career with the Brown Butlin group in 1996 spending the next four years working and training as an arable agronomist. In 2000 he commenced his fresh produce career with MWW, a Birmingham based importer and supplier. He left MWW in 2009 to join the team at Dole Fresh UK.
Toni Direito - Key Account Director
Toni Direito joined Dole Fresh UK in 2007 and is the Key Account Director responsible for the entire major multiple businesses. Toni completed a degree in Business Information Technology in Newcastle before starting his career in the Produce world at Sainsbury's, working there for nine years. He started as a produce manager before moving into Sainsbury's headquarters as a Buyer and Produce Operations Expert, before finally taking on the task of helping setup a Retail Training structure for stores colleagues to be up-skilled. After finally moving away from the retailing world, Toni moved to the supplier side, at Del Monte for 2 years as the Trading Manager post, responsible for procurement of melons and setting up new business in Tesco.
Terri Reed - HR Manager
Terri is the Dole Fresh UK HR Manager and has been with the business for 13 years. She started her career with the NHS, gaining a breadth of experience from recruitment to industrial relations and training, and achieved CIPD qualifications en route. During her career she has also worked as a Recruitment Consultant for the security industry, as a Job Club Leader, working with the long term unemployed, and as the HR Manager for Tilda Rice Ltd., which was her introduction to the food industry, following this she joined Dole Fresh UK.
