BRC hires first US consultant

The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has appointed its first consultant in North America. John Kukoly will be the BRC’s senior technical marketing consultant. He will work on the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety in the North American marketplace. This appointment is part of the BRC’s commitment to developing the standard in North America.

Kukoly brings to this position over twenty years technical management experience in the food industry. Formerly with QMI-SAI Global, a standards auditing and certification body based in Toronto, Kukoly played a key role in the introduction, operation and management of several food standards, including the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) program of which the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety was the first standard to be approved.

Through active engagement with key food industry stakeholders, retailers, restaurants, producers and major trade associations, Kukoly will work closely with leading North American based certification bodies to actively promote the BRC third party certification program. He will develop training program, manage the North American technical advisory committee and implement a marketing communication plan.

Dr Geoff Spriegel, director of BRC Global Standards, said: ‘This appointment demonstrates our firm commitment to developing the global standards in the Americas. I’m delighted John is joining the BRC team. He brings a wealth of experience to this role and will significantly enhance our presence in North America.’

John Kukoly said: ‘Third party certification is relatively new in North America but many retailers, restaurants and producers are now requesting their supply chain adopt this approach to fulfill their obligations with regard to legal compliance and consumer protection. The BRC’s expansion into the North American market provides it with a great opportunity to maintain the standard as the world’s most widely recognized food safety standard.’

Click here for more stories about the British Retail Consortium on L&L.com.