MEET THE SPEAKERS

Speakers

Avi Schwartzer

Clarifresh

Avi Schwartzer is the chief operating officer and co-founder of Clarifresh (formerly Clarifruit). In 2005, he became a team lead at multinational software firm SAP, and in 2008 he transitioned to Hewlett-Packard (HP) as an R&D manager. In 2017, leveraging his extensive experience in quality assurance and a family background in agriculture, Schwartzer co-founded Clarifresh. The inspiration for Clarifresh stemmed from his realisation of the lack of end-to-end tools for accurately performing quality control of fruits and vegetables.
Clara Tucker

Kantar Worldpanel

Clara Tucker spent the last 18 months at Worldpanel working on one of our biggest FMCG accounts. In recent months she moved to its Produce team to lead a varied portfolio across the fruit and vegetables market. Clara is driven by helping clients unlock opportunities and promote data-driven decision-making. Coupled with her experience in customer experience strategy and retail management, she is enthusiastic about bringing shopper insight to the forefront of supplier strategy.
Graham Young

Westfalia Fruit

Graham Young has more than 35 years’ experience in the fresh produce industry. He joined Westfalia Fruit UK in early 2011 and in 2014 he was appointed executive manager for Westfalia Fruit Europe. In 2016, Young initiated Westfalia’s fruit farming activities into Europe with the first avocado orchard planted in Portugal, as well as supporting the development of the group’s commercial and farming operations internationally. More recently, he was appointed group executive for strategic initiatives, focusing on Westfalia’s global business.
Jan Hutchinson

Spitalfields Market Tenants’ Association

Jan Hutchinson has worked in the fresh produce wholesale industry for over 40 years. Until 2010, she supported the family business of Arthur Hutchinson Ltd, a wholesale business situated in New Spitalfields Market. Hutchinson subsequently took on the role of CEO at the Spitalfields Market Tenants’ Association and has been in this position now for 15 years. The role supports the needs of tenants at New Spitalfields Market in all aspects of trading and works closely with its landlord, the City of London.
John Shropshire

G’s Fresh

John is chairman of the family-owned G’s Fresh group of companies. It is one of Europe’s leading fresh produce businesses with growing operations in the UK, Spain, Central Europe and Senegal. John is passionate about raising standards across the food and farming industry and is a founding member of the Modern Slavery Intelligence Network (MSIN) and The Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture (TIAH). John chaired the Independent Review into Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain, published in June 2023.
John Valentine

RED Communications

John Valentine is the managing director and founder of RED Communications, a UK-based marketing and public relations agency specialising in fresh produce.
Liz Bowles

Farm Carbon Toolkit

Liz Bowles has been chief executive of the Farm Carbon Toolkit (FCT) since 2022. She is an expert in greenhouse gas auditing and carbon removals into farmland, with a practical understanding of the voluntary carbon markets. During her time at FCT she has led significant growth in the organisation. Prior to joining FCT Bowles held a senior role at the Soil Association and has worked with both English Food and Farming Partnerships and ADAS. She is also a Nuffield scholar.
Mark Tate

George Perry

Mark Tate is the MD of George Perry, Europe’s oldest fruit and vegetable wholesaler. He joined the family business in 1983, and under his and his brother’s leadership, George Perry has expanded to a £20m enterprise. The business includes GP Salads, the Joe Richards greengrocer chain, and a recently opened Field to Fork farm shop. It has already won awards for being in the top 10 small businesses in the UK and is in the final for ‘Farm Shop of the Year’.
Martha Springham

Ocado

As trading manager for produce at Ocado, Martha Springham leads the sourcing and selling strategies that deliver an unbeatable choice of fresh produce for customers. With a passion for building long-term, collaborative partnerships with growers and suppliers, she is also deeply committed to breaking down the barriers for customers to easily shop delicious and sustainable fresh produce online.
Matt Jarrett

Pro-Force

Matt Jarrett is the CEO of Pro-Force, a leader in ethical recruitment with nearly three decades of experience in labour supply. Since founding Pro-Force in 2005, he has championed responsible recruitment practices, particularly in the agricultural sector. His involvement and efforts with the Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority, Association of Labour Providers, and the government underscore his commitment to worker protection. As part of the Greosn Group, Pro-Force is dedicated to leading the industry in compliance, ethical standards, and workforce solutions.
Rob Davies

The Avocado Company

Rob Davies is general manager of The Avocado Company. A seasoned professional in the fresh produce industry, he has 27 years of experience across multiple disciplines and product categories. With a passion for innovation and presiding over the build and launch of Fresca’s brand new £3.5mn ripening Centre of Excellence, Davies brings deep insight into evolving customer and consumer needs, and the future of the avocado supply chain.
Rosie Osborne

Bremner & Co

Rosie Osborne is a research and projects officer at Bremner & Co., working across its food policy portfolio with a focus on equity in early years nutrition and free school meal policies. Through research and advocacy, she helps shape the policy agenda to improve access to nutritious food, support UK food and farming, and create healthier, fairer food environments.
Shayne Tyler

TylerBladon Practical Ethics

Shayne Tyler is a highly experienced practitioner in the identification, investigation and resolution of worker welfare issues, with experiences that span many hundreds of cases affecting many thousands of victims. He relies on over 25 years of experience directly managing variable levels of employee exploitation situations, where he has actively helped shape legislation, guidance, best practice, and support mechanisms for the prevention and eradication of worker abuse.
Steve Maxwell

Worldwide Fruit

Steve Maxwell doesn’t come from a fresh produce or farming background at all. He grew up in Motherwell and went to Stirling University to do an Accountancy degree. On graduation he joined the sales graduate scheme with Smiths Crisps (now merged into Walkers). Until joining Worldwide Fruit in 1998, he worked across a number of FMCG brands, including Pot Noodle, Quavers and Ambrosia. Maxwell has been CEO at Worldwide for 10 years and was previously the commercial director.
Tom Bradshaw

NFU

Tom Bradshaw farms in partnership with his wife, Emily, and his parents in North Essex. Alongside a small owned farm they run a larger contract-farming business growing a range of combinable crops across 950 hectares in north-east Essex. The home farm is based around arable production but has also diversified into equestrian and renewables. Tom has represented the NFU from local branch chairman through to chair of the National Combinable Crops Board. He was elected to the position of NFU president in February 2024.
Tommy Leighton

Covent Garden Market Authority

Tommy Leighton worked at FPJ for 13 years in the 1990s and 2000s. He was editor for 10 of those years and also managing director of Lockwood Press, the then publisher, for five. He is currently the press officer at New Covent Garden Market, responsible for optimising awareness and recognition of the UK’s largest wholesale market brand as the site undergoes a transformational redevelopment.
Willie Wood

Worldwide Fruit

Willie Wood is a senior horticulturist and technical lead with over 30 years of experience in the fresh produce industry. As head of technical at Worldwide Fruit, he leads the Spalding customer technical team, supplier approval team, and product management functions, overseeing quality, food safety, compliance, and supply chain sustainability. Over the last eight years, he has been hands-on in the development of Worldwide Fruits’ supplier management and development framework, ensuring that constant alignment and connection exists between their global supplier/grower base and their customers’ needs.