NORTHERN Foods is hoping a woman's touch will turn around a 16 per cent slump in half-year profits.

The group, based in Hull, has appointed Pat O'Driscoll, the retail vice-president of Shell Europe, as chief executive to replace Jo Stewart.

Mr Stewart left in September in the wake of a profits warning.

Ms O'Driscoll's appointment as the new chief executive of the FTSE 250-listed company comes at a time when the corporate spotlight is on the number of female leaders of UK companies.

Research by the Cranfield School of Management for the Government last month found that only one FTSE 100 company had a female chief executive - Marjorie Scardino, at Pearson.

Ms O'Driscoll, 44, will take up her post in April, with an immediate brief to generate profits growth across the group, which produces brands such as Dalepak and Goodfella's Pizzas, based in Leeming Bar.

Last month, Northern Foods said its trading performance was unacceptable after posting half-year profits of £32.5m for the six months to September 30.

Record summer temperatures hurt sales of its non-chilled foods and the company said it was conducting a wide-ranging review of its corporate structure in an effort to cut costs.

Ms O'Driscoll will draw on experience of the food sector, which includes buying and selling chilled convenience foods and biscuits for Tesco, Safeway and Marks & Spencer.

She joined Shell in 1997 and has been in charge of a shake-up of its European forecourt business, which serves six million customers a day and generates sales of $35bn (£24.54bn) in more than 20 markets.

Peter Blackburn, chairman of Northern Foods, said: "It is very gratifying that we have been able to attract someone of Pat's calibre.

"She has the proven leadership ability to build a winning culture and team."