Professional services
Business consultant ensures farm suppliers are fit for future
A
new business consultan- cy aims to ensure agri- cultural suppliers are fit
for the future by having a clear vision of their goals and how to achieve them.
Called Manor Drive, the con- sultancy has been founded by Richard Anscombe, who spent nine successful years as chief ex- ecutive of the farmer-owned co- operative Fram Farmers until he stepped down this autumn. Influential in the development
of Fram Farmers for almost a dec- ade, Mr Anscombe said he hoped to take the lessons learned at the helm of the business and apply them to private limited compa- nies and larger farming business- es within the agricultural sector. “A lot of businesses are so busy
they haven’t got the time or re- sources to take stock and look at the best way to achieve their goals,” he explained.
Tools and training
“It is about making sure your em- ployees are on the front foot, moti- vated and all aligned together and that they are absolutely focused on what great looks like for their cus- tomers. That is about giving them new skills, having the right mix of people and the right people doing the right jobs – rather than sitting on their shoulders like a weight.” Trust, training and providing
staff with the right tools – includ- ing computer systems – were all key to running a successful team of employees who realised their potential, added Mr Anscombe, who ran two IT businesses be- fore joining Fram Farmers. “You only put a new IT system in every 10 years or so – which means it is something that many
people don’t have experience of. Quite rightly they can be quite nervous of it and they rarely en- joy the process. But getting it right is an absolutely essential to busi- ness success.”
Delivering value
In addition to implementing a strategy to motivate and align teams, Mr Anscombe says he can help businesses decide the most appropriate IT system and select the right partner. “These are all transferrable skills and good IT is increasingly vital to ensuring that businesses are able to deliver market leading value
to their customers.” “I had nine really good years
at Fram Farmers – during that time we transformed the business and it is in the best shape it has been for 20 years. I enjoyed it and learned a lot – and there comes a time when you want to do some- thing else.
“The time is right for the next
chapter in my life and for running my own business. I am a big be- liever in giving back too and I feel I am in a good position to use my skills and do something that peo- ple can really benefit from.” For details, visit
www.man-
or-drive.co.uk
Jon Duffy to leave AF Group
next summer The farmer-owned AF Group has announced that chief executive Jon Duffy will be leaving the busi- ness in summer 2020. Mr Duffy, who joined AF in 2017, said it had been a difficult decision to leave the cooperative buying group after three years. But he said he was sure it was the right time – both for the busi- ness itself and for him personally.
Credited with focusing the organisation on its members, Mr Duffy has overseen significant growth in returns to AF members. The compa- ny was in a strong position to continue to grow its membership – driven by the services it offers to farmers, he said. “Since joining nearly three years ago, I have
worked closely with the board and senior man- agement team and together we have created a business that is fit for today’s farming environ- ment and equipped to help farmers adapt to the undoubted challenges that lie ahead.” Mr Duffy added: “I have been enormously im-
Jon Duffy: Dynamic and growing business
pressed with all of my colleagues at AF and proud of what we have achieved. I am keen to ensure a smooth transition, and as a result have agreed with the board to stay on to allow a successor to be found.” AF chairman Nigel Savory said: “I cannot
thank Jon enough for the changes that he has helped us instigate. We now have a very dynamic business to build upon and I am looking forward to continuing to work with Jon and the senior management team he has assembled. “We will now identify a new chief executive to continue to drive our growth agenda and to re- turn ever greater value to our members and help them with the challenges and opportunities fac- ing UK agriculture.”
Cream of crop will join Oxford conference
Twenty-nine youngsters from across the UK have been selected to join the Oxford Farming Con- ference’s (OFC) 2020 Emerging Leaders Programme. Picked for their leadership po-
tential, the next group of young leaders – which include farmers, researchers and industry profes- sionals – will attend a pre-confer-
ence event in London, and a me- dia skills workshop during the conference itself.
Previous emerging leaders are
becoming a strong network with the next intake demonstrating the broad appeal of the leadership programme. The latest intake in- cludes Alison Bentley, who leads the genetics and breeding team
at NIAB, Cambridge. Now in its fourth year, the aim of the Emerging Leaders Pro- gramme is to help the best 30 to 45-year-olds in UK agriculture achieve their potential sooner, – both in personal and career de- velopment through the confer- ence programme and through networking opportunities.
The Oxford Farming Confer- ence will be held on 7-9 January at Oxford University. The 2020 theme is Growing A Healthy Soci- ety – strengthening the relation- ship between the population, the land and the people who produce the nation’s food. For details and tickets, visit
ofc.org.uk. DECEMBER 2019 • ANGLIA FARMER 59
Richard Anscombe set up the consultancy following his departure from Fram Farmers.
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