Smoothie and juice brand Innocent has named Nicki Garland as its new Head of UK & Ireland, following the departure of John Taylor after 17 years with the business.

Garland, who is currently innocent’s European commercial finance lead, will step into the role this summer.

She originally joined the juice brand over a decade ago, working in the UK&I finance team before progressing into strategy & planning during the pandemic and leading the commercial finance function across Europe.

Prior to joining innocent, Garland spent six years at Tesco, giving her a strong background in retail and commercial finance.

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Commenting on her appointment, Garland said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be stepping into the role of Head of UK&I at innocent. It’s a real privilege to lead such a brilliant brand with so much heart and ambition.

“I’m excited to build on our strong foundations and to continue to grow to bring innocent’s mission, to make it easier to live well through the delicious goodness of fruit and veg, to life”.

Her appointment follows the exit of John Taylor, who is set to take up a new position as GB Franchise Operations Senior Director at Coca-Cola. Taylor has played a key role in the development of the innocent brand over nearly two decades, helping to shape its purpose-led identity.

In a statement, Innocent said it wishes Taylor well in his new chapter and thanked him for his leadership during a period of significant growth and transformation for the brand.

Innocent, which is majority-owned by Coca-Cola, remains one of the most recognisable names in the chilled juice and smoothie category across Europe.