Beanstalk Global

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 the July episode of Talking Leaders we were joined by Melanie Siggs, Director of Strategic Engagements at the Global Seafood Alliance for a conversation on the synergies between blue food systems, agriculture and forestry, and how they must work together to drive responsible food production.

Melanie holds a number of positions allowing her to work globally across policy, private sector, science and academia. Strategic Engagement Director, Global Seafood Alliance, Chair of Fisheries Innovation & Sustainability, a non-Executive Director of CEFAS (UK HMG Marine Science Agency), Ambassador to the Iceland Ocean Cluster and Honorary Professor at Heriot Watt University. 

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 the May episode of Talking Leaders we were joined by Ben Hirst – founder of Horizon Platforms and a leader who has built his success on lifting others up, quite literally. From starting a national equipment rental business in 2008, Ben scaled Horizon into a respected industry player, before pioneering an employee ownership model that puts people at the heart of performance and long-term value.

Ben’s leadership has been instrumental in achieving record revenues and operational excellence while maintaining a people-first culture. His ethos of building the business for his grandchildren resonates deeply with many family-owned, farming businesses.

Now with a portfolio of Chair and Non-Exec roles, Ben shares what it takes to transition from founder-led to employee-led – covering everything from governance and culture to legacy and motivation.

Open, thoughtful, and values-driven, Ben’s story is full of insight for anyone thinking about succession, scale, or how to keep people at the centre of a growing enterprise.

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 April's episode of Talking Leaders we met Russ McKenzie; a dynamic force in modern farming.

Managing a arable business on the Cambridgeshire / Northamptonshire border, Russ is not just a farmer but a trailblazer in agronomy trials and independent consultancy. As a member of the AHDB Cereals & Oilseeds Sector Council and a 2014 Nuffield Farming Scholar, Russ's journey is a testament to innovation and resilience.

Discover how his passion, influenced by key mentors and personal experiences, drives him to push the boundaries of agricultural excellence. Get inspired by his story of dedication, from overcoming early career doubts to achieving significant milestones in farming.

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 this episode of Talking Leaders we delved into the inspiring journey of Catherine Marriott OAM, a trailblazer in agriculture, leadership, and sustainability. With over 20 years of experience across executive roles, governance, and consultancy, Catherine has a unique ability to bridge the worlds of practical farming, science and global ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) policy.

We explored her insights on the evolving sustainability landscape, the critical role of leadership in agriculture, and her experience with Australian- and global farmers to navigate emerging market and environmental expectations. 

Catherine has worked as an executive, a non-executive director and consulting roles in the agricultural, research and regional development sectors in Australia and internationally. During this time, she has become a proven business leader, communicator and organisational renovator, focused mostly on leadership development, advocacy and delivering innovative solutions for the industries in which she works.

Catherine is currently completing her Nuffield Scholarship with a focus on the impact and influence of global ESG policy on Australian farmers. Understanding the changing ESG and sustainability landscape globally is paramount to ensuring farmers are prepared for changing market options and both public and private sector expectations.

She uses her Rural Science degree to understand the technical aspects of agriculture, while her experience in business, leadership deveopment and governance helps maximise efficiency and outcomes for the organisations for whom she works. Catherine has worked as a beef industry consultant, an entrepreneur, a farmer member based, organisational CEO and has sat on several NFP and public sector boards both in Australia and Internationally.

She received a 2022 Queens Birthday Honors, Order of Australia Medal for contribution to agriculture and rural communities, is UNE’s 2019 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, a graduate of the Australian Rural Leadership Program, a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, and was the 2012 WA Rural Women of the Year.

Hear how Catherine’s bold thinking, global perspective, and passion for empowering others continue to shape the future of agriculture and rural communities worldwide. It's a great listen!

In the February edition of AHDB Talking Leaders, we were delighted to be joined by Colin Crooks MBE.

Colin is a serial social entrepreneur with a track record of establishing impactful and sustainable social enterprises. Currently he is launching BirdRun©, a novel competition designed to increase interest in wildlife and raise funding for environmental protection. Previously he ran Tree Shepherd which over 10 years supported hundreds of people from low-income backgrounds to start their own business. Before that he founded and operated 5 innovative recycling businesses. One of these, Green-Works was awarded the Queens Award for Enterprise; Sustainable Development.

In 2012 he used his experience of employing more than 1,000 hard to employ people to write ‘How to Make a Million Jobs, a charter for social enterprise’. Colin was awarded an MBE in the 2019 New Year’s Honours list for services to disadvantaged people and the environment. 

As a qualified, accredited coach and experienced facilitator/chair of meetings in community and business settings he also runs Intentionality, which works to create and/or support social enterprises to grow and increase their impact.

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 the January edition of AHDB Talking Leaders, we were excited to explore the topic of “Mental Fitness” with Sheena Horner, delving into how to Push Limits while Finding Balance.

Sheena diversified into chilli farming and through that business she developed a growing network of food and drink businesses throughout Scotland. It is through the chilli growing business that Sheena developed a growing network of food and drink businesses throughout Scotland. She is a firm believer in collaboration and helping one another which led her to setting up Food from Farming, a second business to enable her to do this.

She believes strongly in the locality and seasonality of food and drink, which is founded from her farming background and passion for sustainability and the benefits this brings to local and rural economies. These skills are currently being used in her role as the regional food and drink coordinator in Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Manager of the Farming Community Network.

In the summer of 2020 Sheena founded #Run1000, a fundraising event held throughout January highlighting the positive effects that both running and walking have on your mental as well as physical health while raising funds for rural mental health charities. She continues to run and enter events regularly, pushing herself out of her comfort zone and challenging herself.

She is a director of the Oxford Farming Conference, the vice-chair of The Crichton Trust board, a trustee of The Solway Firth Partnership, a graduate of the Scottish Enterprise Rural Leadership Programme and a member of the Dumfries and Galloway Local Employability and Skills Partnership.

Sheena shared insights on how to effectively navigate the New Year, with a particular focus on “Blue Monday” — the third Monday in January, often considered the most depressing day of the year and linked to the January Blues. She explored Mental Fitness, offering strategies to push limits while maintaining balance during this challenging month.

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 the January edition of AHDB Talking Leaders, we were delighted to be joined by Gemma Krasucka, Head of Learning & Development at Leicester City Football Club to discuss “Bring the people with you”.

With a strong background in performance coaching, people development, and cultural change, Gemma’s purpose is to help individuals and teams unlock their full potential. Their career spans 20+ years and has been committed to guiding others to reach their professional goals, promoting self-improvement, and creating successful pathways for talent progression.  

Outside of their professional life, they are an accredited Personal Trainer and performance coach, specialising in athletic development, sports nutrition and mindset.   

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 Decembers' AHDB Talking Leaders broadcast, we are delighted to be joined by Dr. Ellen Joan Ford for an engaging livestream, “Create a thriving workplace”.

Ellen is hugely ambitious about improving the working world for people and for organisations. As a leader, researcher, military veteran, international speaker, TEDx speaker, facilitator, consultant and parent, Ellen draws on her research and practical experiences to drive organisational outcomes such as improved retention, productivity, engagement, well-being and ultimately, profit, by enhancing inclusive leadership capabilities and workplace culture.

Ellen was awarded the Kiwi Bank New Zealander of the Year - Local Hero, Person of the Year - Manawatu

Standard and the prestigious Sir Peter Blake Leadership Award. She is the author of #WorkSchoolHours

(endorsed by CEOs of KiwiBank, FMG, DevryBV and Cliftons, and dubbed a “must-read for any leader

building a modern workplace”) and her leadership model is Belonging, Autonomy and Purpose.

Ellen is passionate, authentic and speaks from the heart with warmth, enthusiasm, bubbliness and fun.

The AHDB AgriLeader initiative in partnership with Nuffield International Farming Network Brasil were delighted to announce their collaborative broadcast.

They explored how leaders from around the world tackle familiar challenges in different ways. Featuring Carla Borges, Wynoma Michaels, and Izak Heerden, hosted by Julia Cristina Campos and Max MacGillivray from Brazil, the UK, and South Africa, this session, “AgriLeadership Gone Global,” shared unique thoughts on leadership styles from diverse backgrounds and cultures.

It’s okay to lead differently! Don’t miss this chance to learn how leadership thrives across cultures and gain fresh insights for inspiring others in today’s interconnected world! 

Prior to the 35th CUPGRA Annual Cambridge Potato Conference on 10th & 11th December 2024 at Robinson College, Cambridge, we went live with a number of key individuals from the CUPGRA Student Network who will present a taste of their work in a flash talk on Beanstalk.Global.

The aim was for them to give us all a quick taster of the cutting-edge potato research being carried out across the UK.

Ten members of the CUPGRA Student Network, who will be presenting at the CUPGRA conference in December, were eager to introduce their research and spark your curiosity about their potential findings!

They were: Fabian Villamil Bolanos, Francis Kawalya, Vongai Chekanai, Ronald Manjoro, M Garrido Davies, Anika Damm, Brandon Thompson, John Owen, Favour Olu-Olusegun, Edwin Tapiwa Toreveyi.