Southwell, who has 25 years of multi-channel experience in the food and beverage industry, joined the manufacturer in September 2021 as sales and marketing director. She is succeeding David Riley to become the first female managing director of the company.
Southwell has helped to sharpen the business's strategic focus as well as championing initiatives that have helped build Hobart’s reputation for sustainable innovation and unrivalled training around its product range.
Southwell said: “I feel privileged to be appointed to lead the organisation. We now move forward with an even greater sense of purpose and a pledge to invest further to maintain our reputation for excellence and reliability, whilst further improving our talent management programme, focusing on gender equality, diversity, and inclusion, and looking outside of the industry – where appropriate – to bring in external expertise.
“This is alongside an equally ambitious drive to reinforce key pillars of our business – sustainable innovation, a focus on value and total cost of ownership, and building customers for life. I’m incredibly proud to be leading Hobart as we stand at the start of a new chapter in Hobart’s history.”