All-female Emerging Leaders shine in predominantly male-dominated agrifood sector
The executive search consultancy has announced its Emerging Leaders programme cohort, which includes Miranda Beebe, lead of Trussell Trust’s Transforming Volunteering strategy; Dr Ruth Bastow, innovation director for CHAP; and Dr Lisa Morgans, head of Livestock for i4Agri.
The programme is designed to give future leaders, working in charities in the global food supply chain, access to funding from Eden Search & Select, which can be used to pay for an academic qualification, a vocational course or a research project that will make a genuine difference.
They will also receive mentorship from industry experts who have worked at the top of their field, including retail, the not-for-profit sector and government departments like DEFRA.
Facilitate innovation and transformation
“Congratulations to our programme participants; an all-star female line up of future leaders, who each have a clear vision of their future and how they want their careers to progress,” said David Macaulay, MD of Eden Search & Select.
“While focusing on different parts of the global food supply chain, Ruth, Miranda and Lisa are united in their passion to facilitate innovation and transformation in the areas in which they work.
“In sectors that remain largely dominated by men, they are already excelling at what they do, but I’m confident that the knowledge and insights on offer from their mentors will prove invaluable as they continue their progression.”
Eden Search & Select’s mission is to plough the global food and farming landscape to unearth high calibre, board-level leadership talent that can deliver sustained, profitable growth. The agency works with entities of all sizes, from rapidly-growing, private equity funded agritech startups to global corporations specialising in fresh, high protein, plant-based manufacturing.
Women empowerment
The Trussell Trust supports a UK-wide network of food banks that provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty.
Leading development of the charity’s Transforming Volunteering strategy, Beebe wants to use her funding to enhance her leadership skills so she can become an agent for change across the Trust’s franchised network of food banks, which employ more than 30,000 volunteers nationwide.
“The pandemic has caused a step change in our volunteering ambitions, in which I play the lead role in developing and delivering the Transforming Volunteering strategy,” said Beebe.
“Investing time in my personal development will enable me to lead the team in driving the foundation for ever greater collaboration across the team, strengthening local partnerships and ensuring that food banks are in the best possible position to both meet increases in demand and initiate programmes tackling the drivers of poverty.”
Dr Bastow plans to use her backing to start an MIT Leadership & Innovation course. She works for CHAP, which aims to increase crop productivity for future generations through the uptake of new technologies in agriculture.
Conscious the industry faces major challenges in the shape of net zero and biodiversity loss, Dr Bastow wants to understand more about the commercial realities that companies of all sizes face when bringing innovation to market and what the associated leadership challenges might be.
“Agriculture is currently facing some of its biggest challenges as an industry,” said Dr Bastow.
“To meet these challenges science and innovation will be critical, but more important will be stakeholder collaboration and interaction across the entire supply chain. This will require strong, effective leadership, to help guide positive change, to listen and to inspire. I am delighted to have been selected for Eden’s Emerging Leaders programme, and look forward to learning from others, as I maximise the opportunities that lie ahead for CHAP, and the sector as whole.”
i4Agri connects farmers with farming research to develop the knowledge and tech that make modern agriculture more sustainable, resilient and productive.
With her gratuity, Dr Morgans plans to enrol on a facilitation training course run by the International Association of Facilitators. She is passionate about empowering farming groups to adapt to the changes facing agriculture and wants farmers to have greater access to integrated and impartial support that will help them innovation and implement new ideas.
“I believe strong role models and their inspirational stories are critical for personal development,” said Dr Morgans.
“The opportunity to receive mentoring from key individuals with extensive experience in sustainability will equip me with the skills and confidence needed to tackle the major challenges facing agriculture.”
