Executive Search Assignment
Case Study: Twenty Degrees – Appointment of General Manager, UK, Europe & Middle East
About Twenty Degrees
Twenty Degrees is a specialist business transforming fresh produce into global consumer brands. The company combines deep expertise across intellectual property protection, strategic marketing, brand management, quality assurance, compliance, territory management, and licensing. With over 30 years of experience building, protecting, and integrating brands within the fresh produce industry, Twenty Degrees has been instrumental in creating household names such as Pink Lady® and Tenderstem®.
The Challenge
MorePeople were retained by Twenty Degrees to deliver an executive search for a new General Manager overseeing the UK, Europe, and the Middle East.
Twenty Degrees Limited UK, previously known as Coregeo®, had been led in the UK by two long-serving leaders with extensive experience in global fresh produce and Retail. With their planned succession, the parent company Twenty Degrees Pty Ltd (based in Australia) sought a leader capable of maintaining continuity while bringing fresh perspectives on value creation and business integration across international markets.
The primary challenge was defining the ideal candidate profile. While experience in the fresh produce sector was advantageous, Twenty Degrees were seeking talent with experience from the broader FMCG market. The successful candidate would need to be a proven strategic leader with a strong track record in managing diverse markets and driving organisational growth.
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Our Approach
The search was led by Tom Edmondson-Matthews (Associate Director), supported by Andrew Fitzmaurice (CEO). We began with a wide-ranging search across both the global fresh produce and blue-chip FMCG sectors. Initial research identified a blend of profiles with international leadership experience and expertise in building robust operational frameworks.
Our first shortlist represented both sectors and ultimately confirmed that the strongest alignment came from candidates with blue-chip FMCG backgrounds. After several stages of interviews, an offer was made to a leading candidate who, unfortunately, later withdrew. This provided valuable insight and a refined benchmark for the skills and experience required.
We re-engaged the market with this refined brief, focusing on individuals with international FMCG leadership experience, commercial acumen, and the ability to lead through influence. From the second shortlist, David McNeil emerged as the standout candidate and was successfully appointed.
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The Outcome
Through a rigorous and transparent process, David McNeil was appointed as General Manager, UK, Europe & Middle East. David brings extensive experience in global value chains, strategic development, and international business leadership — positioning Twenty Degrees strongly for its next phase of growth and brand expansion.
“This was a difficult search. Everyone says that, but in this case it really was. Seeking a senior executive with a background and expertise in FMCG, with international experience and all the requisite capability from a corporate career, and asking them to run what appears to be a small to medium size company, was a stretch. But MorePeople did a great job. David McNeil is exactly what we were searching for and MorePeople took the time necessary to find him and then convey the opportunity. Sounds simple, but it wasn’t. We are extremely pleased with the outcome.”
Andrew Hooke , Group Chief Operating Officer , APAL and Twenty Degrees.
