Having served in the British Army, George joined the family business in the late 80’s as a trainee butcher and progressed through several managerial roles in the retail butchery division of the business. Operating both in Australia and in the UK, he was successively appointed HR Director and Marketing Director for JH Dewhurst. Having spent time away from the business working with his own retail butchery business, George returned in 2006 as Executive Assistant to the CEO of the Group and in 2010 was appointed as Chief Executive Officer of Vestey Holdings Limited.
Outside of Vestey, he is a Deputy Lieutenant of Suffolk, a Trustee of the Suffolk Community Foundation, and Chair of the Employment Advisory Board at HMP Hollesley Bay. George also serves as Director of Collective Pensions Limited, a joint venture between Vestey Holdings and the Timpson Group.
Helen joined Vestey Holdings in 2022 initially focused on sustainability and supply chain issues and in March 2025 was appointed Chief Operating Officer, adding responsibilities for a range of group-wide functions including people strategy, communities, and marketing/communications. Helen also serves as Director of Collective Pensions Limited, a joint venture between Vestey Holdings and the Timpson Group.
Helen brings to Vestey Holdings more than 20 years of experience in international commercial roles – managing global, matrixed teams across the UK, EU, Middle East, China, Southeast Asia, the Indian subcontinent and United States.
Prior to joining Vestey she held senior roles with Seasalt Limited, Dentsu International, Impactt Limited, the Cambridge Institute of Sustainability Leadership, and Pentland Brands plc. Based in Hong Kong for nine years, she ran her own supply chain consulting business. She holds an MBA from Cranfield University.
David joined Vestey Holdings in February 2026 as Chief Financial Officer, bringing to the business 30 years of experience in finance, commercial and operational leadership across private, listed and private equity-backed businesses. A CIMA-qualified CFO, he has held senior Group and Divisional Finance roles across sectors including FMCG, technology, lottery operations and hospitality. Prior to joining Vestey Holdings, David held senior roles with Boparan Restaurant Group, ZPG/Zoopla, Camelot, and Hasbro.
Outside of Vestey, he is currently a Trustee of the Walpole and Cookley Playing Field Trust and Treasurer of Heveningham Hall Country Fair Trust.
Colin joined Vestey Holdings Limited in 2003 and was appointed Chief Financial Officer in 2006. In 2016, alongside his role as CFO, he took responsibility for developing the Fine Foods business, which included the startup of Albion Fine Foods and the WISK business, together with the acquisition of Cottage Delight.
When he semi-retired in April 2024, Colin stepped down from the role of CFO and was appointed Executive Director with responsibility for the Fine Foods businesses. He also continues to input into significant developments in the Group outside of Fine Foods.
Prior to joining Vestey, Colin specialised in food and distribution businesses, leading to being appointed Chief Financial Officer of Global Group plc. He qualified as a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland in 1977.
Sir James was appointed Chairman of Vestey Holdings in August 2023. Outside of Vestey, he is Chairman of the English Rugby Football Union and is a Board Director of the Wates Group, having served as Chairman from 2013 to 2023. He is also Chairman of Tewke and on the Board for The King’s Trust 50th Anniversary Campaign.
He has previously served as Chairman of Family Business UK and has held a range of roles in the built environment sector, including Chairman of the BRE (Building Research Establishment) Trust, Chairman of the CBI Construction Council, Chairman of the CITB (Construction Industry Training Board), Co-Chair of the government-sponsored Infrastructure Exports: UK, and Co-Chair of the trade association Build UK. In 2018, he was appointed by the government to chair the coalition group developing corporate governance principles for large private companies (the so-called ‘Wates Principles’).
In 2012, he was awarded the CBE and in 2019 was knighted for services to business and to charity.
Amanda has served as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Vestey Holdings since August 2023. She brings more than 30 years of international business experience across Europe, Asia and the Middle East, spanning professional services, education, entrepreneurship, investment and corporate governance.
Amanda was a Partner at PwC from 2012 to 2023, where she led the firm’s education and skills business across the Middle East and was also responsible for PwC’s network of academies globally. Earlier in her career, she founded and developed a leading financial training business in Singapore, expanding its activities across Asia, and subsequently established the Middle East office of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Alongside her corporate career, Amanda has founded and invested in businesses, including an early-stage vertical farming venture in the UAE focused on locally grown, sustainable produce. She is an active investor in purpose-driven and early-stage technology businesses and advises private equity and entrepreneurial businesses.
She is a Chartered Accountant and is based in the UAE.
Robin has been a Non-Executive Director of Vestey Holdings since 2004 and, in 2020, took on the chairmanship of the newly formed Family Council.
Robin studied at Edinburgh University before joining the family business in the 1980s, working in the cold storage, transport and shipping sides of the business in France, Argentina, Brazil, Australia, and in the UK. When Blue Star Line was sold in 1998, Robin enrolled to study agriculture at the then Royal Agricultural College where he acquired the practical knowledge to take on the role of Alternate Director and become immersed in the farming activities in Brazil and Venezuela.
