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Liberty House, 222 Regent Street
London, W1B 5TR

Tel: +44 (0)7810 756957

info@foodstrategy.co.uk

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Robert Lawson

Joined
Robert Lawson co-founded Food Strategy Associates in 2012

Expertise
He is an expert in M&A, having led many transactions across the world. He also specialises in business strategy and plant-based foods.

Prior experience
Before founding Food Strategy Associates, Robert was Strategy Director of United Biscuits, Kraft Foods International and Premier Foods. In addition, he was Managing Director of Quorn and led the integration of RHM and Premier Foods – the largest industrial restructuring in the food industry in the UK. He began his career in management consulting working for Arthur D Little.

Education
Robert has an MBA from INSEAD and graduated from Oxford University.

Will Carter

Joined
Will Carter co-founded Food Strategy Associates in 2012

Expertise
Will is highly experienced in commercial and general management across the food and snacking industry

Prior experience
Will has run some of the UK’s leading grocery and snacking businesses as Managing Director of United Biscuits UK, KP Snacks, Premier Foods Grocery and as CEO of Whitworths. He was previously Marketing Director of KP Snacks, McVitie’s and Terry’s Confectionery.

Education
Will is a graduate of Oxford University.

Michel Acda

Joined
Michel Acda joined Food Strategy Associates in 2023, advising on growth strategy, commercial excellence, and due diligence.

Expertise
Growth strategy, commercial excellence, innovation, portfolio management, category leadership, RGM, customer negotiations & trade terms, internationalisation, sustainability.

Prior experience
Michel most recently worked for three years at Nomad Foods in frozen foods as GM for the Netherlands, including the launch of Green Cuisine plant-based products. Before this, he worked in various senior leadership roles in FMCG across Europe; at JDE Peet’s he was Commercial Director for the Netherlands, and later responsible for commercially transforming the business in Sweden, Denmark, and Norway. Prior to JDE Peet’s, Michel worked at Sara Lee’s home and personal care business in the Benelux responsible for AS Watson, and supporting the corporate sale process and business integration into P&G, Unilever, and Colgate. Michel started his career in international business development working with distributors across EMEA for Acer, Philips and Sara Lee.

Education
Michel holds an MSc in Business Economics from the Nyenrode Business University

Nigel Devine

Joined
Nigel Devine joined Food Strategy Associates as an Associate in 2014 and became a Partner in 2019.

Expertise
He is an expert in Operational due diligence and manufacturing strategy.

Prior experience
Nigel has a background in factory and supply chain operations management with Northern Foods, Geest & Premier Foods (Grocery, Quorn & Hovis). He is an experienced leader of supply chain operations and business transformation change programmes with Unilever, Greene King, Hain Daniels, and 2 Sisters and Premier Foods

Education
Nigel has a diploma in Management Studies

Arthur Oesterle

Joined
Arthur Oesterle joined Food Strategy Associates in 2025.

Expertise
Arthur is an expert in corporate, growth and go-to-market strategy and execution, and commercial due diligence in retail and consumer goods. His expertise spans customer-centric business models, digital transformation, and international business with a focus on Central and Western Europe.

Prior experience
Arthur most recently worked as MD of Brinckmann & Lange, a multichannel retailer with a strong expansion across Germany, creating one of the leading premium players in the industry within 4 years. Prior to that, he co-founded and co-led the expansion of Picnic Technologies in Germany, an innovative online grocery platform, for 2 years. Arthur started his career at OC&C Strategy Consultants, where he advised consumer and retail brands on strategy, commercial excellence, and investment decisions as project manager and consultant for 6 years. In addition, Arthur has been regularly advising start-ups and founders in consumer goods and retail sectors on a pro-bono basis.

Education
Arthur holds a MSc from WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management and a MBA from University of San Diego.

Richard Wyborn

Joined

Richard Wyborn joined Food Strategy Associates in 2020

Expertise
Richard has expertise in Sports nutrition, eCommerce and beer

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Richard was Strategy Director of Science in Sport, the UK sports nutrition business, as well as holding strategy positions at SAB Miller. He was previously a Senior Consultant at Bain & Co.

Education

Richard has an MBA from INSEAD and a degree in Management Sciences

Annabella Scannone

Joined
Annabella joined FSA in 2021.

Expertise
Annabella is experienced in confectionery, seafood, as well as logistics, retail, and business services and has completed numerous VDD, growth strategy, product portfolio restructuring, and supply chain optimisation projects.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Annabella worked for LEK Consulting, VIP Capital (Investment Banking), and Adv+ Management Consulting.

Education
Annabella holds an MBA from INSEAD and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Simon Bolivar University.

Harry Turner

Joined
Harry Turner joined Food Strategy Associates in 2020.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Harry gained experience in the insurance industry as a Market Insight & Strategy Analyst, focused on increasing profitability across multiple business lines.

FSA experience
Harry has worked on >35 projects in the European food and beverage industry in both a commercial and operational capacity since he joined as an Analyst in 2020. Notable projects include leading the buy-side operational due diligence of Princes on behalf of a private equity client, leading the strategy development for a leading European confectionery business, and supporting the vendor commercial and operational due diligence of Little Moons in their successful minority stake sale.

Education
Harry holds a First Class BSc (Hons) in Economics from the University of Bath.

William Pauli-McCahon

Joined
William Pauli-McCahon joined Food Strategy Associates as a manager in 2025.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, William spent four years at Bain & Company in their London office. Before that William spent nine years in manufacturing and engineering management.

FSA experience
Will has worked across both commercial and operational engagements in the European food and beverage sector. He supported the vendor commercial and operational due diligence of a UK crisp manufacturer, covering market positioning alongside the production cost base ahead of sale. He also worked on the buy-side operational due diligence of a European vitamins, minerals and supplements supplier for a private equity acquirer, and on the combined commercial and operational buy-side due diligence of a Bulgarian sweet snacks manufacturer.

Education
William holds an MBA from IESE Business School and a Bachelor of Engineering Technology from Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology.

Micaela Solis

Joined
Micaela Solis joined Food Strategy Associates as a Manager in 2026.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Micaela spent more than four years at Simon-Kucher & Partners in their Consumer Goods & Retail Sector in the London and Amsterdam offices. She advised FMCG and retail brands across the food and beverage sector on a range of topics, including Revenue Growth Management and commercial strategy. Following her time at Simon-Kucher & Partners, she spent two and a half years at Just Eat Takeaway.com, a leading international delivery player. At Just Eat Takeaway.com, she worked across operational and commercial strategy to drive growth in each market.

FSA experience
Micaela has worked on engagements across the European food and beverage sector. She supported the buy-side commercial due diligence of a UK soft drinks brand, including consumer and customer research, and the vendor commercial due diligence of a European snacks manufacturer. She also contributed to an internationalisation strategy for a UK snacking brand, assessing route to market and channel priorities across target export markets.

Education
Micaela graduated from the University of Cambridge with a double first-class BA in Philosophy. She is working towards a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Psychology with Arden University.

Alec Bandy

Joined
Alec Bandy joined Food Strategy Associates in 2022.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Alec worked at AMR International, where he worked on a variety of due diligence and strategy projects. He also has experience working in a transformation team re-designing internal functions across ING’s global business.

FSA experience
Alec has worked on >20 strategy and due diligence projects in his time at FSA. He has recently led a competitor insights project on behalf of a European coffee business and developed strategic growth options for a major catering butcher. Alec has deep experience in scan and panel data analysis, conducting store audits and coordinating and executing expert interview programmes.

Education
Alec has a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford, and an MSc in Development Management from the London School of Economics. During his Master’s degree, he advised the Bolivian country office of the World Food Programme on strategies to improve nutritional outcomes and small producers’ incomes.

Olly Douetil

Joined
Olly Douetil joined Food Strategy Associates in 2025.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Olly spent four years at Monitor Deloitte, where he advised FTSE 100 organisations – including Unilever, Diageo, and British American Tobacco – on driving growth and unlocking value. His expertise spans commercial due diligence, growth strategy, and go-to-market planning and has supported a diverse range of clients across categories such as alcoholic beverages, functional drinks, and cultivated meat.

FSA experience
Olly has worked on multiple commercial due diligence projects, covering both buy-side and sell-side. This has included a buy-side commercial due diligence on a UK bone broth business requiring detailed market analysis of a nascent category, and a buy-side commercial due diligence on European coffee and spice business, deep-diving into their coffee buying capability.

Education
Olly graduated from Newcastle University with BA, Combined Honours in Geography and Business with Industrial Placement.

Tom Hooker

Joined
Tom Hooker joined Food Strategy Associates in 2024.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Tom gained experience as a category analyst at Kantar Worldpanel, working in the packaged grocery team for clients including Premier Foods and Pilgrims Food Masters.

FSA experience
Tom has worked on multiple due diligence projects, covering both buy-side and sell-side, as well as both commercial and operational scopes. His responsibilities have included leading a due diligence on a pre-commercial, precision-fermented ingredients manufacturer to aid a European private equity fund in its decision to invest and conducting a multi-site hygiene-factor assessment as part of a vendor due diligence on a UK meat ingredients supplier. Tom has also worked on several strategy projects, including supporting a global food manufacturer determine whether to invest in or divest from their UK frozen and chilled meat-free brand.

Education
Tom graduated from Durham University with a BA in Economics.

Brett Morgan

Joined
Brett Morgan joined Food Strategy Associates in 2025.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Brett gained experience as a Senior Analyst at Kantar Analytics, working with a range of clients across sectors including F&B clients such as Bacardi and Heineken.

FSA experience
Brett has worked on several food and beverage projects, including a commercial due diligence for a Greek food producer, where he undertook the analysis of internal sales and market data. Additionally Brett helped develop a commercial strategy for a UK Dried Fruit, Nuts, and Seeds company, focusing on category assessment and competitor analysis.

Education
Brett graduated from Durham University with a BA in Economics & Management.

Polly Spragg

Joined
Polly Spragg joined Food Strategy Associates in 2025.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Polly gained experience as an Analyst at Deloitte, and as a Founder’s Associate at a sustainability focused start-up.

FSA experience
Polly has worked on multiple due diligence projects across both commercial and operational scopes. Her experience includes supporting an operational due diligence for a Danish confectionery brand, leading a commercial due diligence for a Dutch coffee brand, and most recently leading the market analysis for a buy-side commercial due diligence for a European confectionery supplier. She has experience across scan and panel data analysis, financial report analysis, and coordinating and delivering expert interview programmes.

Education
Polly graduated from the University of Oxford with a BA in Geography.

Delfi Jovellar Calvet

Joined
Delfi Jovellar Calvet joined Food Strategy Associate in 2025.

Prior experience
Delfi has experience across sustainable finance, agri-tech, and technology sales. He completed an MSc in Climate Change, Management & Finance at Imperial College London. Previously, he worked at Zyrcular Foods on alternative protein ventures and later at, Oracle and a Microsoft Partner, selling cloud and networking solutions to enterprise clients.

FSA Experience
Delfi has experience working across both commercial due diligence and strategy work. He has supported the sell-side commercial due diligence for a prepared food specialty manufacturer and the strategy for a UK sugar confectionery manufacturer’s expansion into the European market. Delfi has experience across market sizing and growth assessment, financial analysis, competitor benchmarking and commercial forecasting.

Education
Delfi has an MSc in Climate Change, Management & Finance from Imperial College London and a BBA Management from Lancaster University.

Libby Shepherd

Joined
Libby joined Food Strategy Associates in 2025.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Libby worked as a Junior Economist at an economic consultancy, contributing to research and advisory projects for government and private-sector clients. Her work covered macroeconomic strategy and climate economics, supporting the development of models and policy analysis to inform strategic decisions across global markets.

FSA experience
Libby has worked on both growth strategy and due diligence projects. Her responsibilities have included market analysis of the European sugar confectionery market and commercial due diligence project for a sweet baked goods player in Bulgaria, covering financial and commercial analysis. She has experience across scan and panel data analysis, competitor profiling, and financial analysis.

Education
Libby graduated from the University of Bath with a BSc in Economics.

Ian Coulter

Joined
Ian Coulter joined Food Strategy Associates in 2014

Expertise
Ian is a beverage industry, packaging and eCommerce expert. He has developed store audit methods for market modelling of detailed packaging features.

Prior experience
Ian spent over 12 years working in the soft drinks sector at the Coca-Cola Company and Coca Cola Enterprises. He spent 5 years as a Consultant at Boston Consulting Group where he focused on Consumer Goods

Education
Ian has an MBA from INSEAD and an MA from Cambridge

Steve Gladwell

Joined
Steve Gladwell joined Food Strategy Associates in 2017

Expertise
Steve is our expert in consumer insights and snacking markets.

Prior experience
Steve’s prior experience includes more than 27 years at United Biscuits and pladis in a range of roles focused on Global strategy development, consumer & market insight and intelligence, including main board directorships.

Education
Steve has a BSc Hons in Business Economics & Economics from Southampton University.

Michael Thomas Szczepanski

Joined
Michael Thomas Szczepanski joined Food Strategy Associates in 2026.

Expertise
Michael is an expert in strategy and M&A, having led projects across Europe, Asia, and beyond. He also brings significant experience in advising clients on growth and dairy.

Prior experience
Prior to joining Food Strategy Associates, Michael led Arthur D. Little’s activities in Denmark. Before that, he served as Head of Group Strategy at Arla Foods, giving him deep firsthand knowledge of the dairy industry. Michael also held a Partner position at Strategy& and senior roles at Booz & Co. and Bain & Co. He began his consulting career at Gemini Consulting and brings more than 20 years of international consulting experience in total.

Education
Michael holds a combined Master’s degree from Copenhagen Business School and Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien.

James Amoroso

Joined
James joined Food Strategy Associates in 2019.

Expertise
James is an expert in brand marketing, equity investment, and investor relations within the food & beverage sector.

Prior experience
After 10 years in various management roles at Unilever, Mars and McCain Foods, James spent 15 years as a food & beverage sector equity analyst at several European banks. Since 2008, James has provided consultancy services to numerous food & beverage manufacturers and food retailers.

Education
James holds an MBA from Manchester Business School and speaks fluent French and German.

Peter Gutierrez

Joined
Peter Gutierrez joined Food Strategy Associates in 2021.

Expertise
Peter is an expert in Marketing and International Expansion, across the beverage and snacking industry.

Prior experience
Peter is vastly experienced in leadership positions at blue-chip food and drink businesses across Europe, Asia and South America. He was Marketing Director for Pepsico’s snacking and cereals business and Diageo Venezuela, and Managing Director for Jose Cuervo.

Education
Peter hold an MA from Oxford University in Modern Languages, and an MBA from Harvard.

Peter Jung

Joined
Peter Jung joined Food Strategy Associates in 2015, advising on market issues in Europe

Expertise
He is an expert in German commercial management and brand marketing

Prior experience
Peter was previously been CEO of Atlanta in Germany, MD of Evian and Volvic in the UK and CEO of the German retail chain Plus Discount. He began his career in brand marketing and sales with Henkel and then Danone in Germany.

Education
Peter has an MBA

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