William Reed, the family-owned media business serving the global food ecosystem, has appointed Richard Sexton as Chief Operating Officer (COO). This role marks a significant step forward in William Reed’s transformation journey as the business accelerates growth and strengthens operational excellence across its global portfolio.
Richard joins William Reed after more than two decades in senior operational leadership roles, including UK Operations Director at dentsu international and Chief Operations Officer at Carat UK. With deep expertise in team leadership, operational effectiveness, and change management – including M&A – Richard brings a proven track record of driving performance and embedding resilience cultures within complex organisations.
As COO, Richard will partner with CEO Tracy De Groose to turn strategy into performance, ensuring William Reed operates as one connected organisation. His remit will focus on driving speed and discipline across operations, embedding a performance mindset and a culture of continuous improvement, informed decision-making, and personal accountability.
Tracy De Groose, CEO of William Reed, said:
“Richard’s appointment is a pivotal moment for William Reed. This new role will help us deliver on our priorities with clarity and impact, supporting growth and improving profitability across our brands. Richard’s experience in tackling complex business challenges and managing stakeholders at all levels makes him the ideal partner as we continue to transform and future-proof the business.”
Richard Sexton added:
“I’m thrilled to be joining William Reed at such an exciting time. Having worked closely with the team over recent months, I’ve seen first-hand the ambition and energy driving this transformation. My focus will be on ensuring we operate with pace, discipline and collaboration – creating the foundations for sustainable growth and success.”
Richard’s appointment follows a period of significant change at William Reed, including the arrival of CEO Tracy De Groose in 2024 and the appointment of Chair Holly Widdowson in 2025, reinforcing the company’s commitment to future-proofing the business and its enduring contribution to the global food and drink industry.
About William Reed
William Reed is a family-owned global media business that has served the food and drinks industry for more than a century, with teams in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. We inform, inspire and connect the global food ecosystem through our family of trusted brands. By drawing on a deep understanding of food communities around the world, we unlock the power of collective intelligence to create value for the industry – greater than the sum of its parts. Our purpose: powering the business of food to ensure it flourishes for generations to come.
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