Ian Wright

Ian Wrightis Chief Executive Officer of Food and Drink Federation (FDF).

Career

Wright, formerly Diageo’s corporate relations director, took the helm at the federation in 2015, from former director general Melanie Leech. He has overseen a major overhaul of the organisation, including a massively expanded membership and a move from its old HQ in Covent Garden to new offices in London’s Bloomsbury Way.

But the biggest change was a far higher profile for the FDF in debates on the future of food policy, with Wright overseeing a move to a less technical and sometimes more abrasive approach in talks with ministers.

Wright, who is also co-chair of the Food and Drink Sector Council, has become arguably the industry’s most prominent figure in what he described as a “tumultuous” period, with the organisation at the heart of concerns over Brexit and the battle to feed the nation during the coronavirus pandemic.