Kirstin McNutt (nee Mackie), Development Director

Kirstin is Development Director, and is responsible for both New Product Development and Overseas Development.

Youngest in the family, Kirstin is an enthusiast who adds innovation in her formal role of New Product Development and more recently acquired expertise in Export. Untiring, despite three young children, and with a continual "can be done" approach she created the company's New Product Development facility, Taste Panel resource and a fully managed NPD process.

A creative yet thoroughly practical approach is also applied to her work on packaging development and design. Kirstin started work at Mackie's without food industry experience and self trained on varied courses and conferences around Europe. Her achievements include the NPD kitchen, professional taste panel and a continually evolving range which has satisfied the biggest and top retailers in UK and won several awards. Her earlier education includes an MA degree from Aberdeen and Diploma in Administration and Information Management from Edinburgh. From there, she was selected to spend a year as graduate trainee on the National Health Service Management course.

Favourite activities and diversions include tennis, walking the dog and family life which is currently focussed on settling her young family into a new environment in Edinburgh where her pilot husband is now based.