By Max MacGillivray
The podcast currently has 186 episodes available.
We know how important it is to be inspired by both big businesses and individuals, which is why we are excited to present Talking Leaders, a monthly initiative from the AHDB which will see a series of inspirational speakers share their life experiences and deliver impactful stories to the AgriLeader community.
In our August broadcast we were delighted to be joined by Xander Beks, CEO at I4Nature Global Cooperative in the Netherlands to discuss “reshaping the future of food”.
Xander is driven by his passion for navigating complex issues within multi-stakeholder environments. He finds great satisfaction in advancing transition or transformation processes alongside these diverse players, particularly when collaborating with new generations. This is exemplified by his work with I4NATURE, a cooperative he co-founded to address climate-related challenges. Whether at a regional, international, or cross-sectoral level, Xander adeptly devises strategies to drive change collaboratively.
Xander is trained as an agricultural, military, and social institutional engineer. After graduating from Wageningen University, he accumulated extensive experience at the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture, Nature, and Food Quality, leveraging his background in mixed farming. His expertise spans working with various organisational systems in agriculture, including education, labour markets, and government, from local to international levels.
Since 2012, Xander has led I4NATURE, focusing on meaningful consultancy, future leadership, capacity building, and strategic events. This initiative evolved from a youth program at the Ministry into a cooperative. He has developed numerous programs, fostered international collaborations, and established networks aimed at adapting to a rapidly changing world, particularly through initiatives like young boards and I4NATURE-stage, a network for young people.
In 2016, Xander joined the Dutch Armed Forces as a reservist, specialising in energy and sustainability challenges within military engineering. He also contributes to international forums, such as the Consultation Forum on Sustainable Energy in the Defence and Security Sector.
Recently, Xander has become rooted in the Alblasserwaard region, working on his wife’s family dairy farm. Here, he integrates his activities and knowledge to promote growth without increasing herd size, adhering to principles of generative agriculture and rural landscape values.
Currently, Xander is seeking deeper insights through the Nuffield program to guide the future direction of the farm and its organisation. He aims to develop learning networks for farmers focused on future-proof agriculture, furthering his commitment to sustainable practices and education.
We know how important it is to be inspired by both big businesses and individuals, which is why we are excited to present Talking Leaders, a monthly initiative from the AHDB which will see a series of inspirational speakers share their life experiences and deliver impactful stories to the AgriLeader community.
In our July broadcast we are delighted to be joined by Matt Phelan, Author & Co-Founder of The Happiness Index.
In his day-to-day role, he’s responsible for the strategic direction of the business. He is the founder of The Happiness and Humans Community, host of The Happiness and Humans Podcast and author of Freedom To Be Happy: The Business Case for Happiness.
Matt recently completed a TEDx talk where he presented 12 million data points in happiness from 1 million human beings in 100+ countries in less than 15 minutes!
In our June broadcast we were delighted to be joined by Amie Burke, Inclusivity Programme Manager at IGD. With a vast experience in the agriculture and food sector Amie will share with us why diversity is so important and provide some insights and learnings she is seeing through the IGD membership which demonstrates best practice and enhances the bottom line.
Amie has spent 15 years working in the agriculture sector, from banking to business improvement across the whole supply chain. After 4 years travelling internationally helping clients with their sustainability goals, auditing and providing solutions for supplying farmers in places like Brazil, Guatemala, China, Madagascar and Vietnam, Amie took a role with AHDB to focus on people sustainability in UK farming. Supporting the development of new apprenticeships, hands on workshops developing leadership skills and delivering accredited training for upcoming managers provided insight and experience for Amie’s current role with IGD as Inclusivity Programme Manager.
As a passionate LGBTQ+ member, Amie takes her knowledge and emotional intelligence to deliver insight, best practice and a reverse mentoring programme for FMCG industry; helping to inspire change and support businesses to create inclusive workplaces where everyone can thrive. She was recently named in The Grocer’s Power List as a top 10 activist making grocery a better industry for the LGBTQ+ community.
We went live with the South of England Agricultural Society (SEAS) from the South of England Show on Saturday 8th of June from the Young Farmer Building at the very impressive Showground. We Broadcast on the very important subject of how we collectively create more trust between the farming community and the general public. Our expert panel included:
Kendra Hall – Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust Scholar
Andrew Flake – Sheep & Arable Farmer, West Sussex who opens his farm to the public
Leighton Snelgrove – Chairman of SYFC & Farm Manager for Elizabeth Buchanan
Peter Appleton – Dairy Farmer, Arlington and involved from the conception of the Blubell Walk, Arlington
Aimee Snowden - Nuffield Scholar
With Max MacGillivray from Beanstalk.Global hosting and Mark Campbell from AHDB.
We know how important it is to be inspired by both big businesses and individuals, which is why we are excited to present Talking Leaders, a monthly initiative from the AHDB which will see a series of inspirational speakers share their life experiences and deliver impactful stories to the AgriLeader community.
In our May broadcast we are delighted to be joined by Graham Wilkinson, CEO of the AHDB to discuss his reflections from the first 90 days as CEO and how that is impacting how he rolls out his vision to inspire and promote British farmers and growers.
Graham is an experienced agriculturalist with a deep understanding of best-practice production methods – particularly across the dairy, beef, lamb, pork and poultry sectors. He has gained considerable practical knowledge from his time working on his family farm as well as for Tesco PLC, Arla Foods and now the AHDB.
Prior to joining AHDB in March this year, Graham led the Global Agriculture team at Arla Foods, supporting over 8,500 cooperative farmer owners across seven markets and managing the delivery of innovative commercial milk concepts on farm. During his extensive career at Arla, he worked in both UK and global roles, helping to steer and develop a data-driven, on-farm sustainability agenda, both for specific commercial customers and the wider cooperative.
He has also spent time in the retail sector at Tesco, joining the company in 2011 as Agriculture Manager. During this time, Graham was integral to the implementation of Tesco’s Sustainable Farming Groups within its MFPE category before moving across to the dairy category. Working alongside Tesco’s Sustainable Dairy Group members, he helped develop the company’s agriculture policy and strategy for the dairy category while collaborating with the Commercial and Technical Teams. Graham also developed the Tesco Future Farmer Foundation’, which was established to support new entrants and young farmers to launch their careers in agriculture.
In his role as CEO of the AHDB, Graham is looking forward to promoting and unleashing the full potential of British farmers and growers for the future and is absolute in the view that British agriculture is among the best in the world.
We know how important it is to be inspired by both big businesses and individuals, which is why we are excited to present Talking Leaders, a monthly initiative from the AHDB which will see a series of inspirational speakers share their life experiences and deliver impactful stories to the AgriLeader community.
In our March broadcast we are delighted to be joined by Dr Awal Fuseini, Halal Sector Senior Manager for the AHDB.
Awal works closely with levy payers and key stakeholders in the Halal sector to create a better understanding of the requirements of Halal meat production. His role involves introducing various initiatives aimed at promoting English beef and lamb as versatile and convenient products to Halal consumers. Awal also collaborates with Halal certification bodies to understand the requirements of the major export markets with a view to facilitating the export of English beef and lamb to the global Halal market, with particular focus on the Middle Eastern and Sub-Saharan African markets.
Awal previously worked as an auditor and certification manager for one of the largest Halal certifiers in the UK, he is a trained British Retail Consortium (BRC) and ISO 9001 third party auditor. He has also made a significant contribution to academic literature through the publication of a book on Halal meat production, and numerous peer-reviewed papers in reputable scientific journals such as Meat Science, Veterinary Record, Animal Welfare, CAB Reviews, Food Ethics and others. Awal holds a PhD in animal welfare and meat science from Bristol University, his research interests centre around improving animal welfare at slaughter and evaluating consumer behaviour.
We know how important it is to be inspired by both big businesses and individuals, which is why we are excited to present Talking Leaders, a monthly initiative from the AHDB which will see a series of inspirational speakers share their life experiences and deliver impactful stories to the AgriLeader community.
In our March broadcast we are delighted to be joined by Jack Sheffield, Farmer & Founder of FeelAliveAgri, discussing “Building a Brand”.
Jack started FeelAliveAgri in 2017 with an aim to create a brand aimed at young people in agriculture which is affordable yet stylish. A brand which can be worn on the farm, in the field or at the shows.
Having been in farming all his life: growing up on the family farm in Sussex, attending agricultural college and working in different UK counties and down under in Australia, he is no stranger to the farming way of life but he saw there was something the people of the farming community needed and wanted! With social media being a massive part if his life and even more so agriculture nowadays it gave launching the brand a helping hand!
As we’re all aware, currently there are multiple challenges and pressure faced both in our industry and lives. Join our panel to discuss and gain insight into how they are riding the current rollercoaster and adapting their businesses to become more resilient, motivating the people around them, whilst ensuring they look after themselves.
Our Speakers:
Chris has been fortunate enough to return to the family farm as a fourth generation dairy farmer managing 450 autumn block cows near Lewes, East Sussex. The farm has seen significant changes over the last 8 years with a project currently underway to build a new dairy unit and expand the herd to 650 cows. Chris is ably supported by a fantastic team that prioritise the welfare of the animals, allowing all to push forwards with the next stages of development for the farm.
Tom Rawson – Director of Evolution FarmingTom is married to Catherine and they have three teenage children. Tom’s journey into dairy farming started on his parents’ 50 cow tenanted farm in West Yorkshire when he finished Harper Adams University in 1999 having not milked a cow until he was 19 years old. In 2010 Tom co founded Evolution Farming which today milks over 3000 cows on 8 units and at peak employed over 80 staff in a variety of different enterprises. Tom also has wider industry involvement including being Vice Chair of Nuffield Farming, current Chair of The 1000 Cow Club and a Committee member of The Farmers Club.
Charles Anyan – FCN Ambassador & FarmerCharles is an arable farmer and keen environmentalist from Lincolnshire who took up running during the Covid lockdowns. A five stone weight loss quickly ensued. Now a veteran of 4 marathons (and currently training for number 5) he still hasn’t stopped. He has found running to be a great way to look after both his physical and mental health, and is an advocate for breaking the stigma around this.
Anyan became an ambassador for The Farming Communtiy Network in 2021 and was also a judge of Britain’s Fittest Farmer in 2023.
We know how important it is to be inspired by both big businesses and individuals, which is why we are excited to present Talking Leaders, a monthly initiative from the AHDB which will see a series of inspirational speakers share their life experiences and deliver impactful stories to the AgriLeader community.
In our February broadcast were delighted to be joined by Kirsty Lewis - Founder of the School of Facilitation, discussing "A Business is Never Too Small for Effective Communication".
A bit about Kirsty and the School of Facilitation: "Hi, I’m Kirsty, Founder of the School of Facilitation, a dream I first journaled on in 2007. I was seeking comradery in the world of facilitation, working with corporates for the majority of my career, and I was feeling the pull of real connection and people who just ‘got it’.
But, where would I find them? After months and years of soul searching and web scouring, I realised that the solution I sought was within me! In 2014 the School of Facilitation welcomed its first members, having been gradually formulating in the background for some time. By 2017 we were supporting and encouraging facilitators and corporations from around the world.
I’ve worked with powerhouse brands and household names, such as Diageo, Chanel and Jacob Douwe Egberts. My own personal facilitation journey spans decades (I know, I know, I don’t look old enough!) and I’ve worked for myself for much of that time. I understand the trials and tribulations of going it alone, being an associate or facilitating within a corporate structure, because I’ve experienced those facets myself."
In late 2024, Kegan Stubbs and Max MacGillivray are travelling to Zim to explore the best of the countries farming and produce whilst supporting agricultural industries. They will be visiting a number of key growers to film, to learn and to promote the countries fresh food output for both internal consumption and to also highlight them all for key export markets. We are keen to give this opportunity for key Partner Sponsors to benefit from the planned mission to Zimbabwe!
On the Broadcast was:
Kegan Stubbs – he is currently engaged in exploring the intricacies of the agricultural industry within the UK via the MDS scheme and is partnering Max MacGillivray of Beanstalk Global on the Zim “mission”! Having grown up on a diverse farm in Manicaland, Zimbabwe, he developed a profound connection to both agriculture and his home country.
Clarence Mwale – A global exporter and compliance manager of primarily blueberries, but also has an extensive small-scale out growers’ program which he markets and runs compliance.
Josh Burger – Grower, Exporter, and marketing agent for most of Zim’s paprika crop – near the town of Kwekwe
Graeme Webb – A key Zim grower majoring on150 ha Avocadoes and 80 ha Citrus
Max MacGillivray – Host and Editor in Chief of Beanstalk Global
The podcast currently has 186 episodes available.