Radnor Hills appoints new Managing Director

Radnor Hills, Wales’ largest soft drinks producer, has appointed Simon Knight as its new Managing Director.

Knight will be taking over the role from William Watkins, who will now be stepping up to CEO of the company.

Previously, Knight worked as a consultant for Radnor Hills and was recommended by the Welsh Government for his consultancy role.

During his career, Knight has garnered over 30 years experience in the FMCG industry, with roles spanning from Sales to Marketing Director for premium snacks brand Burts Snacks. In addition. Knight has worked for Mars Wrigley.

Commenting on his new role, Knight shared: “I’m thrilled to be joining Radnor at such an interesting time. We have a great range of brands and lots of exciting new product development in the pipeline.

“Radnor is fast-growing and independent and has maintained a refreshingly agile way of working. I really like William’s ethos of continual investment in the company which allows it to flourish and grow.”

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Knight went on to explain that Radnor Hills is “very much a family business” and he is “impressed with how passionate [the] team is about the brands [it produces], [its] customers and consumers”.

“I am very confident that we have everything in place for continued growth and success. The real magic is in Radnor’s basket of products which have been perfected for over 36 years. The company produces every format from one site, including glass, RPET plastic, Tetra Pak and cans.”

Looking to the future, Knight revealed that he plans to bring a “strategic and collaborative focus to [his] new role and will be setting very clear goals that bring the wider team together as one.”

Meanwhile, Watkins, who founded Radnor Hills in 1990, shared: “I am absolutely delighted that Simon is joining the Radnor team, bringing a wealth of experience within FMCG to our business. He has a proven track record of growing businesses profitably, driving efficiencies, building customer relationships and getting the very best out of his team through a clear strategic focus.

“These are exciting times for the business. Radnor Hills continues to grow, and Simon’s focus will be on the day to day running of the business, allowing me to focus on the longer-term projects, ensuring we continue to have in place the capacity to keep up with the demand of our products.”