Acre is delighted to be supporting Westfalia Fruit in a search for a Global Director of Health & Safety. Westfalia Fruit is a leading multinational supplier of fresh fruit, with the largest avocado-growing footprint in the world. They have operations spanning the UK, Europe, Africa, LATAM and North America and are proud to serve as the supplier of choice to both retail and wholesale partners.
As part of a new leadership structure, the business is strengthening its global functions to ensure operational excellence and resilience across its international supply chain. Health & Safety has been identified as a critical priority, and Westfalia is now seeking a Global Director of Health & Safety to lead this transformation.
This newly created role will report into the Chief R&D and Sustainability Officer and will be accountable for defining and implementing Westfalia’s global H&S policy and strategy. Working across a diverse set of geographies and business operations, you will provide the vision, structure, and leadership required to unify practices and drive a culture of proactive, values-led safety.
You Will
- Define and execute a world-class H&S strategy aligned with ISO 45001, international and local legislation.
- Harmonise and standardise H&S practices across Westfalia’s international operations.
- Champion a cultural transformation from compliance-led to proactive, behaviour-driven safety.
- Lead risk management, audits, and incident investigations, ensuring continuous improvement and global learning.
- Build and mentor a network of H&S leaders across regions, driving collaboration and knowledge sharing.
- Provide strategic guidance to the Executive Team on emerging risks and regulatory changes.
We are seeking an influential and experienced H&S leader with the resilience, strategic vision and operational expertise to deliver transformation at scale.
Your Experience
- Extensive experience in global or multi-regional H&S leadership within agriculture, food production, manufacturing, industrial or infrastructure environments.
- Proven track record of leading cultural change from compliance-led to behaviour-led safety.
- Strong understanding of ISO 45001, risk management and incident investigation.
- Experience managing and coaching diverse international teams within matrix organisations.
- Excellent stakeholder engagement skills, able to influence at both Board and operational levels.
- Flexibility to travel internationally
- Additional languages (Spanish or Portuguese) are advantageous.
This is a rare opportunity to step into a newly created global leadership role and shape the future of Health & Safety within a complex, high-growth international business. You will play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety, well-being, and resilience of Westfalia’s 8,000+ employees worldwide.
For more information, apply for the role or message Lawrence or Shaqeeb at lawrence.hallett@acre.com or shaqeeb.hussain@acre.com
