Independent Director for Retail Food and Product Assurance

Assurance the board should seek

Examine whether management has clear accountability across sourcing, supplier approval, handling, storage and customer communication. Test the quality of information on incidents, recurring defects and overdue corrective actions. Ask how risks change when the business introduces new categories, private-label ranges or alternative sourcing arrangements.

Review the independence and capacity of technical challenge within commercial decisions. A strong framework should allow concerns to stop or change a launch when necessary. Seek evidence that procedures work in practice, including traceability exercises, escalation tests and the treatment of weak supplier information.

Decisions and escalation

Contribute to risk appetite, investment and strategic discussions where product assurance is material. During a significant issue, oversee the adequacy of management's response and the timeliness of reserved decisions. Communications and remedial actions must be supported by the relevant specialists and accurate evidence.

The director will not certify products, run investigations or direct recall operations. Management retains operational responsibility, while the board ensures accountability and appropriate resources. Eligibility, independence and committee responsibilities will be considered against the actual entity and its governance requirements.

Product-risk judgement to demonstrate

Applicants should demonstrate senior retail, consumer-product or technical governance experience with consequential quality responsibility. They must be able to interpret assurance reports critically and recognise the limits of their expertise. Applications should explain how a systemic issue was identified from apparently isolated events and what governance changes followed.

What assurance must enable the board to see

The board should receive clearer information about product risk and stronger evidence that corrective action is effective. Successful contribution protects customer trust by ensuring that commercial ambition is supported by credible assurance. It also helps the board distinguish a well-controlled residual risk from an exposure that has become normalised because no serious event has yet occurred, encouraging timely action before visible harm forces a response.