MONTREAL — Saputo Inc.’s April 15 acquisition of Dairy Crest Group P.L.C. has initiated a senior management shuffle at the dairy product manufacturer.

Tom Atherton, deputy chief executive and group finance director at Dairy Crest, has been named president and chief operating officer of Saputo’s U.K. dairy division.

A 14-year veteran of Dairy Crest, Mr. Atherton was appointed executive director and group finance director in 2013 and also has held the role of deputy chief executive since January 2018. Before joining Dairy Crest in 2005,

he held senior finance positions at Logica P.L.C. and Thorn P.L.C.

Mark Allen, c.e.o. of Dairy Crest, has decided to step down from his position. He will remain with Saputo until July 2019 to ensure a smooth transition.

Saputo agreed to acquire Dairy Crest on Feb. 25 in a transaction valued at approximately £975 million ($1.27 billion). Headquartered in the United Kingdom, Dairy Crest manufactures and markets cheese, butters, spreads and oils under British brands such as Cathedral City, Clover, Country Life and Frylight, as well as value-added dairy ingredients. Dairy Crest employs approximately 1,100 people in seven locations across the United Kingdom.