London: Indian-origin Ranjit Singh Boparan, also known as Britain's 'chicken king', has stepped down as the chief executive officer of the 2 Sisters Food Group, a poultry group which he founded and owns.
Boparan has stepped down from the post of the chief executive officer (CEO) earlier this week to take charge as the President of Boparan Holdings Limited (BHL), the parent company of the group.
The 51-year-old businessman from the West Midlands region of England had founded the 2 Sisters Food Group 25 years ago in 1993 with his wife Baljinder Kaur Boparan.
It went on to become one of the country's largest suppliers of poultry with numerous factories.
I am fully committed to building a better, more transparent business, modernising our company and simplifying our operations, Boparan said in a statement related to the change in his role.
I want to take a broader industry leadership role and concentrate more on the issues and challenges that affect not only our business, but also the food sector in general such as Brexit, social responsibility and sustainability, he said.
The 2 Sisters Food Group said that a process has been put in place to find a new CEO and Martyn Fletcher, in his capacity as chief operating officer (COO), will be responsible for the operations of the business until a formal appointment has been made.
The change comes in the wake of a hygiene scandal at one of Boparan's chicken plants last year following an undercover investigation, which triggered wider investigations by the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA).
Boparan said his decision comes at a very important stage in the business history and will help secure strong foundations for future development and growth.