About Us
Our Businesses
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Media
Careers
About Us
Our Businesses
Investors
Responsibility
Media
Careers
At ABF, across all our businesses, you’ll find more than just a job. You’ll discover a place where you can grow, make an impact, and shape your future. As a diversified international food, ingredients and retail group, we operate in 56 countries, employ 138,000 people and generate £20.1bn in sales.
Our success is driven by our people, people like you.
We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all career paths. At ABF, you drive your own growth and we give you the tools to succeed.
In line with our purpose and values we provide distinctive leadership and career opportunities which bring responsibility and accountability, and ensures you are contributing to a broader purpose.
At ABF you’ll have the chance to develop in areas ranging from food production and sustainable agriculture to fashion retail and specialty ingredients. You can tailor your career journey to your aspirations, exploring different sectors and roles.
Through support from managers, People and Performance partners and development programmes, you’ll have the chance to shape your future on your terms.
We encourage you to make the most of every role, embrace new challenges and take charge of your career progression.
Whoever you are, you can bring something to the company. This gives a chance for everybody to be themselves.”
Our leaders take their responsibility to develop their people really seriously. Whether formal or informal, we work really hard to make sure we develop our people, so that we can continue to grow, and our people can grow with us.”
We try to build a place which helps people of any kind of potential to succeed. I want to hire people for who they are, for what they know, for what they bring to the company.”
Each of our businesses have their own vision and their own strategy and purpose, but we all share the same values, and these are core to how we operate.”
It’s a great opportunity for you to learn and grow your skills and capability, you’re part of contributing to, and building on a legacy.”
I’m inspired by learning something new and being able to do different things. I love watching people develop, I really enjoy it when graduates I’ve hired are suddenly managing directors of businesses. It’s a real buzz to see people growing and developing.”
Our businesses are small, but that means you’ll get the opportunity to build breadth not just depth in your career.”
Our businesses and people are passionate about our brands and products. Our business model creates an environment that is supportive but allows you independence and opportunity.”
There are many different businesses, and many different cultures, lots of variety and lots of opportunities to experience.”
Great leadership is at the heart of our success and we’re committed to helping you grow into the leader you want to be. Whether you’re leading a team, a function, or a business, you’ll find the support you need to develop and thrive.
Leadership development at ABF is shaped by our decentralised model. We empower our teams to run their business in every aspect from setting strategy to executing plans. Our leaders have ready access to expertise, support and challenge from our Group centre to accelerate their growth.
Each of our divisions provides tailored support to help leaders succeed in their unique environments, while our centre offers development opportunities for those moving into senior leadership roles or building functional careers.
At the core of our approach is the ABF Leadership Framework—a guide that helps our people understand what great leadership looks like and how to develop towards it.
Through this framework, we help our leaders build the skills, mindset and confidence to make an impact—both within their teams and across ABF as a whole.
My 18 year career at ABF has developed and progressed from continuously seeking rich and diverse experiences, including working in different countries and different Business Units. I find the culture of empowerment with accountability very motivating and has provided the environment to create important projects that have significantly impacted and benefited the organisation.”
Having our own unique model enables us to identify and develop the elements we believe are the hallmark of our most successful leaders. By nurturing the capabilities and traits not only do we help our leaders navigate and flourish in this environment but also enable the long-term sustainable growth of our businesses.”
Here, you can develop your career in a way that suits your ambitions. Whether you want to specialise in your technical expertise or broaden your industry experience, we offer opportunities to match your aspirations.
Our devolved operating model means decisions are made where they matter most—close to the action. You’ll have the autonomy to make an impact quickly and the support to grow. We invest in our businesses, and that means investing in our people, too.
You join your business and as you develop you get more of a sense of ABF and I think that’s the reason people stay, it’s because of ABF and a feeling that you belong to something a lot bigger.”
We exist to provide safe, nutritious, affordable food and clothing that is great value for money.
Behind this purpose is you. Your work contributes to something bigger—helping people around the world access everyday essentials.
Every ABF business has its own unique culture and way of working, shaped by the industry, environment and people within it. Across all our businesses, a shared set of values connects us.
These values describe how we work, how we grow and how we support each other. They are the foundation of our success and the impact we make every day.
We believe the best decisions come from those closest to the market. We believe in leadership that starts from the ground up, empowering local teams to make decisions rather than relying on top-down direction. That means you’ll have the chance to take ownership, make meaningful contributions and be a key part of our success.
We encourage open communication, sharing of best practices and collaboration across our businesses, so you’ll always have access to a wealth of knowledge and expertise.
In my decade with ABF, I’ve been constantly growing with new project challenges, time in various businesses and an amazing support network of colleagues. ABF has so many opportunities across the Group, I feel like I’ll never run out of runway.”
I have been with ABF for over 20 years, working in 10 businesses across Grocery and Agri in multiple functions, from HR to Supply Chain and M&A. These moments have stretched and challenged me, taught me to think differently and widened my network.”
At ABF, we listen.
Almost all of our businesses regularly conduct engagement surveys to understand what’s working and what can be improved. That’s just one part of the conversation, we also run discussion groups, listening sessions and encourage strong communication between employees and managers. Your input shapes how we grow together.
We know that success starts with feeling supported—physically, mentally and financially. That’s why our businesses run tailored health and wellbeing programs to address what matters most to their people.
Across ABF, we are continuously expanding our efforts in mental health support and financial wellness, ensuring you have the resources you need to thrive, both at work and beyond.
We focus on equity and we are intent on providing inclusive working environments where everyone feels they can belong and excel. Their safety and wellbeing are also a priority, our people must be safe and feel safe when interacting with our businesses, both on site and on the move. Across the Group, we maintain a working environment that values and promotes safety, health and mental wellbeing.”
Inclusion isn't just an initiative at ABF, it's who we are. We believe that diverse perspectives enhance innovation, strengthen teams and drive success.
Everyone has the right to feel valued, heard and supported. We focus on equity because we recognise that not everyone starts from the same place. We are committed to creating opportunities for all our people and our business growth makes this easy.
Our Group Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Network connects teams across our businesses, sharing best practices and accelerating meaningful change. With over 450 advocates, we actively embed inclusive practices, inspire expanded thinking and provide education to ensure everyone can succeed.
We know there’s always more to do and we’re committed to continually removing barriers, supporting growth and championing inclusion across every part of ABF.
It’s really down to the individual, in terms of what you actually want to do a cross-divisional move, or geographical location, ABF is very open-minded about helping people develop their careers and take up new challenges.”
Across ABF and externally there is a huge wealth of knowledge to tap into if you need it.”
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British Sugar colleagues at our factory in Wissington, UK
British Sugar is expanding its apprenticeship programme and is planning its largest intake yet starting in September 2024. New opportunities include engineering, agriculture, IT and commercial roles. The apprenticeships last between 18 and 48 months and lead to qualifications at Level 2 to Level 6.
Over 80% of apprentices still work within the business after 10 years. ABF Sugar is committed to developing the next generation of talent and welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.
A colleague at our Anhui Mill in China
Open communication is crucial and AB Agri values employee feedback, ideas and suggestions. Its continuous listening platform ‘Pulse’ allows colleagues to voice their opinions and contribute to improvement efforts. Anonymous feedback channels are also available for employee use.
Conducted quarterly to ensure timely celebration of successes and addressing of issues, the survey results provide valuable insights for both line managers and people and performance teams. Line managers are provided with toolkits to facilitate regular action planning sessions where teams discuss their results and any potential improvements to be made.
The Pulse survey assesses employee engagement across various drivers, including wellbeing, inclusion and corporate social responsibility. All three areas currently rank among the highest scoring metrics in the survey, exceeding the benchmark provided by Qualtrics. AB Agri’s overall engagement score across the division currently sits at 76%, also exceeding the benchmark.
AB Agri understands the importance of keeping colleagues informed. Launched in 2019, ‘Between the Lines’ is an internal publication featuring personal stories from across the company, serving as a platform for fostering a global, inclusive culture. Now distributed in seven languages, it has become a crucial component of the division. Digitally and in print, the publication reaches all locations at least three times per year. In 2024 it won the ‘Best Internal Publication: Digital’ category at the Internal Communications and Engagement Awards.
Participants in AB Mauri Brazil's mentorship programme
Since 2022, AB Mauri's business in Brazil has been working to address the gender pay gap by implementing gender-neutral hiring and promotion policies, as well as centralising salary decisions within its Reward department, to ensure equitable compensation. In 2023, results of gender pay gap reporting were communicated to all employees at all levels and the business is committed to providing annual updates and reports, supported by explanatory materials on its analytical approach.
They also focused on the development of Black talent through a mentorship programme that pairs 24 mentors and mentees across all company sites. Mentoring participants received four educational sessions on racial issues in Brazil.
The business in Brazil has also focused on accessibility for people with disabilities. At the Pederneiras plant, inspections were conducted to identify improvements for individuals with various disabilities, including auditory, visual, intellectual, physical or multiple disabilities. Enhancements such as designated parking spaces, access ramps and adjusted heights of everyday tools like soap dispensers have been implemented.
To celebrate inclusion and diversity, Tip Top recognises a broad range of cultural events within its bakeries, including Eid al-Fitr
The ‘We Belong' programme was launched at Tip Top in 2023. It involves Inclusive leadership training and a series of 12 'curious conversations' led by team leaders. The goal was to build curiosity and understanding and to value differences within teams. In 2024, DON introduced the programme to support its inclusion agenda, and both businesses are seeing the benefits of positive conversations that explore how we see, change, and embed inclusion and diversity at work. With engaging content and a simple discussion framework, 'curious conversations' are happening across George Weston Foods' businesses and improving feelings of belonging.
Primark employees at our store in Mulhouse, France
Primark is investing in its leaders to enhance their effectiveness and impact. The business has implemented several initiatives to support their growth, including a comprehensive onboarding programme for new retail managers to ensure new colleagues have a positive and effective induction. Primark intends to use these insights to inform its approach to colleague engagement.
Primark also has a range of leadership development opportunities focusing on its values, behaviours and leadership skills, equipping managers with the tools and knowledge needed to succeed. These include the Lead Our Amazing Stores programme for store managers which consists of workshops, 360 degree feedback, simulations and one-to-one coaching.
Our My Leadership Impact programme equips department managers with the mindset, skillset and tools to lead our store colleagues. To date, 700 department managers have attended the programme and a further 1,300 department managers will go through the programme before the end of 2024.
