Yakult, the gut health experts since 1935, has appointed Joe Gailani as national sales manager for the UK & Ireland, to help drive the next phase of commercial growth, with a focus on deepening retailer partnerships and broadening distribution across key channels.
In his new role, Gailani will lead Yakult’s sales strategy across the UK & Ireland, focusing on strengthening existing retail partnerships, supporting sustainable category growth and increasing the brand’s availability across a wider range of channels and more consumption occasions.
Gailani brings more than 18 years’ experience building and scaling food and drink brands, with expertise spanning national accounts, commercial strategy, customer development and channel growth across retail, wholesale, foodservice and e-commerce.
He joins Yakult from Cotswold Fayre, where he led the commercial agenda across key national retail accounts, developing growth plans and managing relationships across retail, wholesale and independent channels. Prior to this, Gailani held senior commercial roles at Bonraw Foods and Unilever, with experience spanning health, wellness, plant-based and functional food.
Across his career, Gailani has secured listings with major retailers such as Waitrose, Morrisons, Ocado, Whole Foods Market, Asda and Holland & Barrett, while developing distribution strategies and commercial partnerships to support long-term sales growth.
Joe Gailani, national sales manager at Yakult UK & Ireland, comments: “Yakult has incredibly strong foundations, with a heritage stretching back more than 90 years globally and 30 years in the UK. What really attracted me to the business was the strength of the brand and the opportunity that still exists to build on that.”
“As consumer awareness and interest in gut health continues to grow, Yakult is well-placed to translate its longstanding expertise and research in the category into further opportunity. My focus is on translating that brand strength into further commercial growth by deepening customer relationships and working closely with our retail partners to ensure we are responding to their priorities and supporting sustainable growth.”
Shinji Yamaguchi, managing director at Yakult UK & Ireland, adds: “Joe brings a breadth of commercial experience that is highly relevant to our ambitions in the UK & Ireland, particularly across national accounts, channel development and strategic customer partnerships.
“His appointment strengthens our commercial leadership as we continue to invest in the market. Joe’s ability to combine customer insight with a clear growth mindset will be important as we deepen partnerships, develop new routes to market and build on Yakult’s long-term ambitions in the UK & Ireland.”
Alongside his commercial remit, Gailani will work closely with Yakult Europe’s new R&D team to support future product development.
Gailani’s appointment forms part of wider investment in Yakult’s UK & Ireland commercial and communications teams during 2026, with additional appointments across sales, marketing, digital and PR, designed to help support customers and retailers, strengthen market presence and deliver its growth plans.
