Chief Executive and Director profiles

Tim Smith took up post as Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency on 1 April 2008.

Tim Smith is the former Chief Executive of Arla Foods UK plc. The company, which is responsible for a number of major food brands, is now part of Arla Foods amba, Europe's largest dairy manufacturer. He was appointed Chief Executive of Arla Foods in early 2005.

Tim Smith graduated from Leeds University with a degree in microbiology and zoology. He has spent his entire career in the food business: from 1979 to 1994 he was at Northern Foods, finishing his career there as a Divisional Director. After five years at Sara Lee Corporation, where he was President of UK operations, he joined Express Dairies plc as Executive Director. Express Dairies merged with Arla Foods in October 2003.

Richard joined the Food Standards Agency in April 2007, moving from his previous role as Finance Director at the Department for International Development. He has a background in international and European work, and is a qualified Management Accountant.

He has held non-executive roles with the Crown Agents and the Child Support Agency, and is currently an Independent Adviser to the National Assembly Commission in Wales, and chair of its Corporate Governance Committee.

Dr Andrew Wadge was formerly Head of the Agency's Chemical Safety and Toxicology Division working on issues including toxicology of food chemicals, allergy and food intolerance, food additives, contact materials, pesticides and veterinary medicine residues.

Originally working in academic research laboratories and Westminster Medical School, he has been a Government scientist since 1986 holding posts in the Department of Health, including work on the health effects of environmental pollution and then leading the Food Chemical Safety Unit with responsibility for the secretariat to the independent expert Committee on Toxicity.

Has responsibility for local authority food enforcement, food standards and food labelling, meat policy and enforcement. He worked in a variety of posts at Leicester City Council for 30 years, starting his career there in 1970 as a student Environmental Health Officer. Before leaving to join the Agency he held the post of Assistant Director Environmental Management and Protection.

The Consumer Choice and Dietary Health group is a new Directorate in the Agency. Its establishment reflects the growing importance of the diet and nutrition work carried out by the Agency and is in line with its strategic plan over the next five years.

Gill Fine worked at Sainsbury's from 1995, first as the Company Nutritionist, becoming Head of Diet and Health in 2002. She articulated the company's position on food and health and helped Sainsbury's to develop dietary initiatives for its customers.

Before joining Sainsbury's she was the British Nutrition Foundation's Education and External Relations Director.

Has a BSc in Home Economics from Bath College of Higher Education and an MSc in Nutrition from Queen Elizabeth College, London. She has played an active role in public health nutrition for many years and is currently a member of the Government's Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition.

Vivienne Collett joined the Agency in February 2006 from the Treasury Solicitor's (TSol) Department, where she was head of the Public Law Litigation Division, conducting judicial review cases for the major Government departments. She is a solicitor and joined TSol as a commercial litigator from private practice. She has had a wide range of advisory jobs in TSol, working in the European Division and then advising the Treasury, Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence in areas as diverse as employment and pensions, and defence procurement.

Terrence Collis joined the Agency in April 2006. Prior to that he worked in a range of media and communications roles, predominantly in the private sector, both in-house and on a consultancy basis. He is a former Director of Corporate Communications at National Westminster Bank and Director of Group Corporate Communications at Lloyds TSB.

He has extensive experience of public policy and political lobbying and has worked with a wide range of trade bodies and consumer organisations during his time in retail banking.

George Paterson: Director of FSA Scotland

Joined the Agency as its Scottish Director from the Canadian Health Department where he was responsible for food safety and nutrition policy and standards. A scientist by background, he worked for a range of departments within the Canadian public service in a variety of scientific and management positions.

Steve Wearne: Director of FSA Wales

Steve Wearne was appointed Director of FSA Wales in October 2007. He succeeds Joy Whinney, who is taking a career break.

Steve joined the Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food in 1990, transferring to the Food Standards Agency when it was launched in 2000 as head of the Private Office and Private Secretary to the first Chair of the FSA,Sir John Krebs, (now Lord Krebs).

In July 2003 he served as Interim Director for Wales in Cardiff for 15 months.

Morris McAllister: Director of FSA Northern Ireland

Qualified as an Environmental Health Officer in 1970 and held a number of local government posts before joining the then Department of the Environment in 1981. He was appointed Chief Environmental Health Officer (CEHO) at the Department of the Environment in 1991, a post which he held until his move to the then Department of Health and Social Services where as CEHO he provided professional policy advice to Ministers on the full range of environmental health issues.Chaired both the Northern Ireland CEHO Group and the UK Government CEHO Group. He has served on a number of committees both locally and nationally.

Steve McGrath took up post as MHS Chief Executive on 22 January 2007. He has extensive leadership experience as a Board Director of a number of large organisations in the private and public sectors, focussed on delivering the highest level of customer service on a commercial footing.

This includes the management of large teams in high volume operations across the UK. He is currently Director of HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC), responsible for 70 million National Insurance accounts, together with managing shared services for 16,000 staff in HMRC and the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

Following university, Steve started his career in British Gas culminating in becoming Director of Gas Supply progressing to Operations Director. He also led schemes to establish new industries in a number of countries.

On leaving British Gas, he led the creation of a number of companies providing services to a range of clients in the private and public sectors, which he subsequently managed. This included being Chief Operating Officer of a company providing customer services to some of the biggest names in retail, national utilities and financial services.

He holds a Master of Science Degree and is on the Boards of the North East Chamber of Commerce, Young Enterprise North East and the North East Regional Leadership Team of Business in the Community.