Building a global food supply chain business from a standing start might sound like a carefully planned journey. For Dean Attwell, it began with survival.

In this episode, Dean joins Eimear Andersen to share the story behind Oakland International, from the collapse of the family farming business to spotting an unexpected opportunity in frozen storage and building from there.

He reflects on how the business evolved without a clear strategy in its early years, why identifying gaps in the market became central to growth and the lessons learned from both success and failure, including early international expansion and costly missteps.

The conversation explores leadership, culture and decision-making from taking calculated risk, the importance of failing fast and learning quickly, and why creating an environment where people feel trusted and supported is critical to long-term success. He also discusses the role of innovation, the changing dynamics of the food supply chain and the opportunities emerging for smaller producers and direct-to-consumer models.

A conversation about building from nothing, reinvention and how opportunity often emerges when there is no plan at all.

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