Giles Blatchford Email and Phone Number

People Excellence:Personnel and strategy alignment, Company culture re-balancing, Team productivity and motivation. Operational Efficiency:Operational and Strategy guidance, Process rationalisation, Change leadership. Financial success:Economic and commercial data-analysis, Account and market appraisal.

Business stabalisation and recovery.

Help to improve Company Culture and coach the Senior Management Team

Farm Economics is a part of Market Intelligence

I have worked in agriculture since 1985; initially with a direct involvement in practical farming, developing my technical skills, and subsequently becoming qualified as an Agronomist. In 2000 I became more involved in farm diversification, developing rural enterprises that specialized in adding value to farm produce, marketing produce and creating a direct relationship with my customers..Adding value to farm produce for smaller producers became a critical component of my work, and a key tool in developing and securing rural livelihoods. Part of the Added Value component was directing three ‘Not for Profit’ enterprises that enhanced the promotion of small farmers though Co-op ventures. In the last eight years, my work interests have moved to being more involved in guiding and managing livelihood-supporting co-operatives and social enterprises. I became more involved in farming operations in Africa particularly in determining good Corporate Social Responsibility for two large farming projects. I have been engaged in work in recovering and fragile environments, notably in Afghanistan, Egypt and Sudan, advising on Agronomy and designing and evaluating Rural Enterprise projects. I have been responsible for the design and delivery of projects in the role of Project Manager or General Manager. Following the trajectory of my career, my goal is to be more directly involved in helping to develop rural economies; designing and advising on both the establishment of rural infrastructures, and the networks that strengthen communities and secure livelihoods. I bring significant experience of delivering such projects in a wide variety of environments.

Leading a fresh produce wholesale company in recovery and change management while implementing a complete business process framework at Spitalfields Market. Establishing Legal and Accounting compliance. Negotiating long term supply contracts for importing fruit and veg from central Africa, building relationships with suppliers and a structure to support the supply chain at all stages. Turn over £2million.

Afghanistan G4 Industries worked with KBR to complete a feasibility study for DFID in Afghanistan. This work was looking at the rebuilding of infrastructures to support the agricultural industry, particularly with a view to creating a channel to market for farm produce other than poppies. We worked in a high security environment and under some pressure and risk. This is a $38m project.UK I have been involved with a project consulting to Alkane Biogas, advising on feed stock sourcing, and helping to establish farmer partners to fuel a 1.3MWhr generator as a part of an Anaerobic Digester. I have been involved in developing the business plan, and an environmental impact assessment, and consulted through local engagement, taking the project as far as full planning submission.Kenya I was employed by G4 Industries working as a contracted consultant Farm Manager. This was particularly focused on producing the operational model to secure funding for a project in Kenya, farming 20,000ha producing rice and oil seed crops. This is a $30m project funded from Denmark and the UK, with Kenyan partners. I have been responsible for researching the potential of various crops produced in the Tropics and Sub Saharan Africa. I also produced the main agronomy and business model for submission to selected banks.

I worked as an Agronomist and Production manager on contract to RAII, Saudi Arabian company. The role has been part of a small management team, developing a newly established arable farm on the Nile. The farming is all pivot based cropping, working reclaimed desert land. The main crops were Alfalfa and Wheat. I was also involved in collecting Data for a farm Survey in Egypt for the same client.Later I was contracted directly by RAII as Project Development Manager and then becoming Project General Management on two large Farming projects on the construction and establishment side; helping establish sound infrastructures and robust working practices. Both projects are desert farms fed from the Nile and irrigated through a system of pivot sprinklers.

I was engaged at Salle Moor Hall Farm to oversee the business, run largely on philanthropic grounds as a social enterprise, as a part of a property development company. My brief was to expand the operation into a ‘vertically integrated’ food production and processing unit based on the existing mixed farm. I built on an existing customer base of ‘veg box subscribers’ and introduced a secondary line of wholesale customers to maximise the organic horticultural enterprise. The recession and reduction in commercial property values meant that the owner was no longer able to support the expansion.

I was invited to oversee the project development and establishment of a Co-operative Partnership. The business comprised of a large Farm Shop with Butchery and a Production Kitchen; and Restaurant and a Fish and Chip shop. The shop is highly regarded (including winning the EDP Food Awards and many regional competitions).I was successful in engaging local producer/processors to sign up as stakeholders. All elements of the business were successfully launched and takings over the first summer were well in excess of budgets and forecasts. The business employed 17 people, and turnover was in excess of £1m by year two, and returning a profit by the eighth quarter of trading.

I managed 3,900 acres of combinable crops and grassland, producing livestock for direct retail at the farm shop. We also specialized in the production of Maris Otter malting barleys, grown on direct contract to Marston’s brewery.The managed area included 1,250 acres on West Woodyates Manor Farm and Cobley Farm, all under a full management contract on a stubble to stubble basis. I was managing several companies with a joint budget of £1.4m during a time of very low commodity prices; we were to show a net return on all companies. Whilst at Cranborne Farms, I was selected to receive specialist training in wheat canopy management techniques, then run demonstration trials and host a regional group of farmers to introduce new techniques. These techniques were also demonstrated when we hosted the National List (for the NIAB) crop trial and husbandry trials with the Game Conservancy Council. In my time at Cranborne Farms we introduced a farm butchery and retail venture that was selling Estate produce direct to consumers; turnover was approximately £250k in the second year based on and investment of £50k. I developed a system of rearing traditional breed pigs in woodland producing premium pork. This was a system I gave advice on at various Traditional Estates. I was recognised by Rick Stein as Food Super-heroes as part of his promotion of quality farming systems. While I was at Cranborne Farms I was a Director of a 60,000 tonne grain store, and was involved in the management and implementation of a TASCC assurance (ISO type assurance scheme)