New initiative aims to find future potato industry leaders
GB Potatoes has named the first cohort of its new Potato Industry Development Programme, with 14 early and mid-career professionals completing the initial phase of training last week.
Delivered in partnership with the British Potato Trade Association (BPTA), the three-part programme was developed in response to a gap in structured training for people building careers across the potato supply chain.
Its purpose is to equip future industry leaders with a whole-system understanding at a time when the sector faces mounting commercial, regulatory and environmental pressures.
During the first phase, participants representing production, agronomy, research, policy, manufacturing, trading and procurement took part in an intensive three-day programme of visits and session with leading businesses across the sector.
They engaged with experts at McCain Foods, Branston, AKP and Haith Manufacturing, gaining insight into how quality systems, processing and fresh market requirements, storage, grading, machinery and trading are connected across the supply chain.
GB Potatoes chair Alex Godfrey said: “The potato industry is made up of many highly skilled people working across a wide and complex supply chain. Since the loss of AHDB’s successful Next Generation Programme, what has been missing is a structured way for new entrants to step back and see how those different parts fit together.
“Working with the BPTA, our aim was to create a programme that takes participants from high-grade seed through to the finished product, showing how each part of the chain functions and connects, helping to develop leaders who can meet the future demands of the industry.
“What has really stood out is the calibre of this first cohort. Their appetite to learn and engage highlights the strength of talent coming through the sector, and we are looking forward to supporting them as they move through the next phases and progress in their careers.”
Participants of the Potato Industry Development Programme are:
- Abbie Maclean, production assistant, Meijer Potato UK
- Alexandra Cismas, production manager, AKP
- George Cole, buyer, RS Cockerill
- Hannah Sadler, procurement, Fylde Fresh and Fabulous
- Harry Watkins, fieldsman, Scott & Newman
- Holly Turner, agronomist, Branston Potatoes
- Jake Caston, R&D agronomist, Produce Solutions
- James Webster-Rusk, senior agribusiness analyst, The Andersons Centre
- Laura Stevens, plant pest risk manager, Defra
- Louise Greenhill, contracts manager, Agrico UK
- Lucinda Smith, agronomist
- Mark Robson, managing director, HK Timbers
- Megan Singer, breeding programme trials officer, Cygnet PB
- Tim Allen, potato enterprise manager, Patrick Dean
The programme runs throughout 2026, with the second phase taking place in Scotland in June. That will focus on seed, breeding, plant health and regulation, followed by a final London-based session in November exploring policy, lobbying and industry representation.
