Mark Fairweather is CEO of Whitworths Ltd, a UK-based ambient food supplier known for beans, pulses, dried fruits, nuts, and seeds. Since taking over following a change in ownership in 2017, he has steered the company through a significant repositioning, shifting its identity from a traditional bakery ingredients supplier toward a modern, health-focused food brand, while balancing clear strategic direction with giving his leadership team room to execute.
Under his leadership, Whitworths simplified its product portfolio, invested in its production facilities, and worked to hit profitability targets, achieving a sales uplift in 2020 and reaching a major revenue milestone for the company. Key initiatives during this period included launching a range of convenient plant-based meals under the "Protein by Nature" line and repositioning the wider brand around health and wellbeing to capture growing consumer demand for better-for-you food options.
Fairweather has emphasized grounding these decisions in genuine consumer insight rather than speculative product development, and has shown flexibility in adapting the business through disruptions like the COVID-19 pandemic.
