Penny Newman OBE, who headed up Fairtrade hot drinks company Cafedirect until March this year, has taken over as CEO of Jamie Oliver's chef training academy the Fifteen Foundation.
Social enterprise ambassador Liam Black left the post earlier this year to pursue other ventures, leaving a space at the top. Penny began her new role on 1 Sept.
Penny, a social enterprise ambassador said: "After ten great years at Cafédirect I am absolutely thrilled to have the opportunity to use my skills in another fantastic social enterprise, to help develop it further and to lead it to new commercial and social dimensions."
The businesswoman, who recently became a member of the advisory board for the Office of the Third Sector, spent her earlier career in top jobs at Avon and the Body Shop before joining Cafedirect in 1998 as financial controller. She soon became CEO and spearheaded unprecedented growth, market diversification and overseas launches, bringing turnover to more than £20m.
