Mark Suthern is a highly respected leader in UK agriculture and rural sustainability, with more than 35 years banking experience ultimately supporting farmers, landowners, and rural communities. He spent his career with Barclays Plc, ultimately serving as Managing Director and National Head of Agriculture, where he led national strategy across farming, landed estates, and sustainability.

Today, Mark holds a diverse portfolio of influential roles across the agricultural, environmental, and rural sectors. He is Chair and Trustee of the Arthur Rank Centre and serves as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Flood and Coastal Risk Management for the Environment Agency (DEFRA). He continues to champion the next generation of agricultural leaders as a Mentor for the Lord Henry Plumb Foundation, and he organises the Farming Consultations at St George’s House, Windsor Castle.

Mark has contributed to key national publications and policy thinking, co-authoring The Independent Review of UK Farm Assurance (2024) and the Green Finance Institute report, Financing the Farming Transition (2023). In the faith and heritage sector, he is a Lay Canon and Senior Non-Executive member of the Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral.

Deeply committed to farmer wellbeing and rural resilience, Mark formerly served as Chair of the Farming Community Network (FCN).

Andrew Brown is a Rutland farmer born and bred.  He is a past High Sheriff of Rutland. He also sits on the Cambridgeshire bench as a presiding magistrate in the adult courts. The farm is 60% arable and 40% permanent pasture. The farm is in a major conservation scheme which has planted pollen and nectar strips and wild birdseed plots as well as a 3Ha community woodland. The farm has won several local, regional and national awards for his conservation work whilst maintaining a viable and productive commercial farm. He hosts school trips and goes into schools to promote British food and farming.

He is a former National Farmers Union East Midlands Regional Chairman. He has been on the Board of the Home Grown Cereals Authority, The Oxford farming Conference, The Commercial Farmers Group and the Farmers Club in Whitehall. He is a Fellow Practitioner of the Society of Agriculture, a member the Worshipful Company of Farmers and has achieved the status of Chartered Environmentalist. He has been awarded the Fellowship of the Royal Agricultural Societies. He is a Freeman of the City of London, a former Trustee of the Rutland Agricultural Society and of the Leicester Comedy Festival. In 2017 he won the Leicester Comedy Festival ‘Stand-up Challenge’ and has done comedy gigs in various locations around the country and even as far afield as Tasmania and Vermont. As well as having an engineering degree in 2019 he gained a post graduate law degree with merit from De Montfort University and in 2024 a Masters in Environmental Law with distinction.

Mike is a farmer’s son from Lincolnshire who graduated at Nottingham University with a BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Sciences.

In 1975 he took up a post with full responsibility for the management of an arable and beef farm business of a well-known Nottinghamshire Farmer before joining Andersons, Farm Business Consultants in 1979 based at Melton Mowbray as an agriculture business consultant.

In 2014 Mike retired from Andersons to set up Expert Agriculture Ltd. and was appointed Chief Executive of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants in May, 2014, a post that he held for ten years.

He has a national reputation in the fields of specialist feasibility study, litigation, managed recovery and insolvency practices providing services for farming clients as well as the financial institutions, accountants and the legal profession

He follows International rugby and motor sports. As well as being actively involved in life in both West and North Yorkshire he crews a racing yacht

Jenna Copp is a farming consultant with extensive expertise in agricultural business management. After earning a BSc in Agricultural Business Management from Reading University, Jenna began her career with AKC in 2007 and became a partner in 2017. In 2022, she further honed her leadership skills by completing the IAgrM Leadership Development Programme.

Jenna specializes in providing all aspects of business and financial budgeting advice, navigating grant schemes, and supporting rural businesses through the transition in Environmental Schemes. Her diverse client base spans the South of England, serving farms of various sizes, structures, and enterprises.

Outside of her professional work, Jenna is a committee member of the Wiltshire Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution charity and a partner in her family’s farming business.

Having grown up in Wiltshire on a farm managed by his father, agriculture has always played an important and central role in Oliver’s life. Having gained a diploma in Agriculture at Lackham College and graduated from Harper Adams university with a degree in Agri Food Marketing, Oliver went on to travel and work on farms in New Zealand and Australia. Upon returning to the UK, Oliver has since managed farms at Holkham, Thelverton, Bradford Estates and latterly Mawley Hall LLP.

With sustainability and the environment playing an ever-increasing role in farming, Oliver has been immersed within regenerative practice in order to carefully balance margin alongside farming for the future. Oliver strives to facilitate peer-to-peer learning and encourage the younger generation in order to strengthen the agricultural industry.

Carl has over 25 years of investing, consulting, management and brokerage experience across agriculture and land-based assets. He joined Climate Asset Management in October 2022, initially to lead on regenerative agriculture and took over as Managing Director and Strategy Lead for the Natural Capital Strategy (NCS) in July 2024. He has responsibility for strategy, pipeline, deal management and transaction execution for the NCS investing in a diversified portfolio of regenerative agriculture and sustainable forestry assets across North America, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.  He is also a director of the Strategy’s six European local operating companies with over 3,000 ha of olives and nuts across Spain and Portugal under regenerative management.

Prior to CAM, he co-founded and led a boutique global agribusiness investment consulting business for more than 10 years, and before that was a partner in the agribusiness team at Bidwells.

Carl holds a first-class Honours degree in agriculture from Newcastle University, a Masters in Business Administration and has attended the Agribusiness Executive Education programme at Harvard Business School. He is also a Chartered Environmentalist (CEnv) and a former Chair and Council Member of the Institute of Agricultural Management.

John is Chief Agricultural Officer for AF (Anglia Farmers), where he delivers strategic leadership to the crop inputs and livestock inputs procurement teams.

He brings over 30 years hands-on farming experience from his previous role as Farms Director for Sentry and is BASIS, FACTS, and BETA qualified.

As well as Norfolk Chair for the Society of Agriculture, he is a trustee of Norfolk FWAG and he chaired the stakeholder group for Agri-TechE for 5 years.

In 2020 he formed the Waveney, Water & Woodlands cluster group, covering 11,000+ hectares.

He’s also completed the Worshipful Company of Farmers ‘Challenge of Rural Leadership’ course in 2003.

Hailing from a non‑farming background and a graduate of Wye College, University of London (BSc Agriculture), Sarah has worked in the agricultural industry for almost 30 years. Her career spans technical sales, advisory roles, and knowledge exchange, during which time she has developed a strong commitment to helping farmers adopt innovative and practical approaches to on‑farm improvement.

Since 2017, Sarah has led knowledge transfer at Kingshay, producing technical publications and supporting farmers with practical, evidence‑based insight. She recently completed training in Holistic Management, reinforcing her belief in the importance of soil health to long‑term farm resilience and profitability.

Beyond her technical work, Sarah is co‑host of the ChewinTheCud podcast, where she helps explore farming challenges, share practical experiences, and shine a light on the people shaping the dairy industry.

She is also a founding member of Women in Dairy, contributing to its development and annual conference, and serves as Secretary for Somerset CMA, an affiliate group of the Society of Agriculture.

Simon Britton has now established his own firm of Agri Consultants, S&S Britton LLP. Previously at Knight Frank as National Head of Agri Business Consultancy. He is a Fellow Advisor of the Society of Agriculture (SocAg).

Previous to this Simon has been a Partner in Strutt & Parker, Director of Savills and also a partner in Andersons The Farm Business Consultants.

Over the last 29 years, Simon has gained extensive experience in Agriculture and Rural based Consultancy and all its aspects, including dealing with private, corporate and institutional landowners to provide tailored consultancy and business management solutions. He adopts a holistic approach, ensuring that every aspect of client’s rural business is carefully considered to maximise its potential. He delivers sustainable solutions while balancing financial performance, environmental enhancements and social inclusion.

Simon Britton is the founder of S&S Britton LLP, an independent agricultural consultancy firm providing strategic business advice to private, corporate, and institutional clients across the rural sector.

With almost three decades of experience in agriculture and rural business consultancy, Simon brings a wealth of expertise to every project. His career has included senior leadership roles such as National Head of Agri-Business Consultancy at Knight Frank, Partner at Strutt & Parker, Director at Savills, and Partner at Andersons – The Farm Business Consultants.

Simon is a Fellow Advisor of the Society of Agriculture (SocAg), where he currently serves as Chair of the Advisory Board.

His approach is holistic and forward-thinking, considering every aspect of a client’s rural enterprise to unlock its full potential. Simon is committed to delivering sustainable, tailored solutions that balance financial performance, environmental stewardship, and social value, ensuring long-term success for the businesses he advises.

Victoria Bywater is a strategic leader and consultant specialising in professional development and organisational growth within UK agriculture. As a driving force behind the creation of the Society of Agriculture (SocAg), she has played a pivotal role in uniting leading professional bodies and shaping a modern framework across the sector. Alongside her work, Victoria focuses on building partnerships, advancing professional standards, and strengthening the links between education, consultancy, and farm management to support the next generation of agricultural professionals.

A past Chair of IAgrM (now Society of Agriculture), John is a Divisional Director with Promar International, the agri-food value chain consultancy business owned by Genus plc. He has worked extensively on agri-food marketing assignments throughout the UK and in more than 60 other countries, with clients including government agencies, trade and industry associations and leading UK and international food and drink companies.

He is a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Reading, was the Chair (for 6 years) of the Organising Committee of the City Food & Drink Lecture (held annually in London and organised by eight  City-based livery companies involved in the agricultural and food sectors), a member of the Agricultural Economics Society, and the past President of the UK Chartered Institute of Marketing’s Food, Drink and Agriculture Group. He still serves on the National Council and the Thames Valley branch of what is now the Society of Agriculture.

Wendy Jenkins is a director and founding member of CARA Wales Ltd, a firm of agricultural and business consultants based in West Wales. Wendy has extensive experience in providing all aspects of business management advice to farmers including analysing business performance, benchmarking and discussing future options. CARA Wales was formed in 2005, and has developed into one main agricultural consultancy businesses in Wales. 

Wendy graduated from Aberystwyth with a degree in Agriculture and Business Studies, and has over 25 years’ experience in consultancy. She has extensive knowledge of support schemes in Wales, and is currently supporting farmers with the transition to new Sustainable Farming scheme. She is also a Lead Consultant on the  Farming Connect Farm Advisory Service, and is regularly called upon to give presentations on various aspects of farm business planning to Farming Connect discussion groups.

Following 20 years of membership of the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants, Wendy was elected as Chair of the organisation in 2025.

David Meredith is the Principal Rural Business Consultant at DJM Consulting, a consultancy firm that he started in 2004. With over 35 years of working for farmers, David is able to draw on his wealth of experience and expertise to the benefit of his clients, colleagues and tribunals. His enthusiasm for all things rural coupled with his gentle approach, grit and determination to succeed for his clients on every task has proved invaluable.

The broad range of work in which David is involved includes:

• Strategic consultancy, mentoring and training for farmers and agricultural professionals
• Estate reviews, financial appraisals, business plans, joint ventures
• Valuations; from stock taking to taxation
• Rural business grants
• Expert witness work

Son of an upland beef and sheep farmer in mid-Wales, David has served as Chairman of BIAC, founded a national buying group, sits on several DEFRA stakeholder groups and is a TFA Local Lead. He is also a Mentor for The Royal Countryside Fund and a Director of the Natural Capital Consortium, focusing on monetising natural capital for farmers.

Alongside his consultancy, David owns and manages a 650-acre mixed family farm in Shropshire, giving him a clear, hands-on perspective that turns advice into practical solutions.

Richard, hailing from a farming family in Shropshire, began his agricultural career with a YTS apprenticeship, followed by a diploma at Warwickshire College. He gained experience working on the Pilkington Estate, Warwickshire and in the U.S. Midwest before becoming Farm Manager at Warwickshire College and later Farms Manager at the Lowther Estate, where he won prestigious awards. In 2008, Richard transitioned to Director of Farming at Lowther, and is now Farms Director for Huntapac Produce Ltd. Huntapac are based in Tarleton, Lancashire which grow, pack and distribute fresh produce across the UK.

Richard is also a Fellow of CARAS and the Royal Agricultural Society, a Chartered Environmentalist, and a mentor for the Lord Plumb Foundation.

Mark is currently a Senior Director, Head of Shared Services & Operations and Head of the Shrewsbury Rural Team at Strutt & Parker (Rural), previously he was Estate Director at the Whitbread family’s 11,000-acre Southill Estate, Bedfordshire in April 2022. Mark was before that (2016 – 2018) Estates Director at Mexborough Estates, managing the Estate’s 18,500 acres of upland and lowland across North and West Yorkshire. From 2002 to 2016 he was Estate Manager at Farley Farms & Estate, Berkshire; during his time at Farley, he was M&S National Milk Pool Chair for eight years, instrumental in establishing the first milk price model for an aligned milk pool, winning an M&S Plan A award for his efforts; he also chaired the Dairy Crest Direct Forum for several years.

After leaving Shuttleworth College with a Higher National Diploma (Distinction) in 1989, Mark worked for the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) as an Agricultural & Construction Inspector until 1994, when he took his first Farm Manager role at Walford College, Shropshire moving in 1998 to become Farm Manager at Moulton College, Northampton.

Mark was from October 2019 until April 2022 the Chair of the Council of the Institute of Agricultural Management (IAgrM – now Society of Agriculture), a not-for-profit charity, having been on the Council since 2015 and previously sat on the editorial committee of the Journal of Farm Management from 2005 to 2012. Mark is now an Ambassador, Professional & Fellow of the Society of Agriculture. In November 2023 he was awarded the Institute’s prestigious Agricultural Management Award.

In February 2021, Mark was awarded Associateship of the Royal Agricultural Societies in recognition of distinguished achievement within the agricultural industry, presented to him by the Princess Royal in the House of Lords.

Kate Russell FRICS FAAV ASAg CEnv ARAgS is an independent Natural Capital consultant, Agricultural Valuer, Chartered Surveyor and Chartered Environmentalist. She co-founded Tellus Natural Capital Ltd in 2021 to help farmers and landowners across the UK to prepare for and take advantage of emerging markets in ecosystem services.

Alan Spedding was born on a Lancashire dairy farm and graduated from Nottingham University. He worked for the Southern Counties Beef Recording Society performance recording and costing beef cattle, then with the Beef Recording Association and the Meat and Livestock Commission with Ken Baker eventually running the Beef Demonstration Unit at Stoneleigh. During this period he was Chairman of BIAC,

After the Beef Unit closed he moved to the Royal Agricultural Society of England where he edited their Journal and ran their conference programme. On his retirement he started RuSource with Revd Gordon Gatward at the Arthur Rank Centre to provide farming and rural information, firstly for rural clergy and then for the wider farming and rural community. He is now editor of The Source for the Society of Agriculture and the National Libraries for Agri-Food. In his spare time he rides his bike round North Buckinghamshire and runs U3A Book and Jazz Groups.

The Head of Climate Mitigation Science provides authoritative scientific leadership to support evidence-based policy for achieving Net Zero. This role coordinates and integrates research and analysis across key sectors: agriculture, forestry, biomass, peat and soils, waste, wastewater, and fluorinated gases (F-gases), to ensure Defra’s policies are underpinned by robust, credible, and actionable evidence.

Mark Suthern is a highly respected leader in UK agriculture and rural sustainability, with more than 35 years banking experience ultimately supporting farmers, landowners, and rural communities. He spent his career with Barclays Plc, ultimately serving as Managing Director and National Head of Agriculture, where he led national strategy across farming, landed estates, and sustainability.

Today, Mark holds a diverse portfolio of influential roles across the agricultural, environmental, and rural sectors. He is Chair and Trustee of the Arthur Rank Centre and serves as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Flood and Coastal Risk Management for the Environment Agency (DEFRA). He continues to champion the next generation of agricultural leaders as a Mentor for the Lord Henry Plumb Foundation, and he organises the Farming Consultations at St George’s House, Windsor Castle.

Mark has contributed to key national publications and policy thinking, co-authoring The Independent Review of UK Farm Assurance (2024) and the Green Finance Institute report, Financing the Farming Transition (2023). In the faith and heritage sector, he is a Lay Canon and Senior Non-Executive member of the Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral.

Deeply committed to farmer wellbeing and rural resilience, Mark formerly served as Chair of the Farming Community Network (FCN).

Richard is Head of Landed Estates and Agriculture Strategy at Barclays, a Chartered Fellow of the London Institute of Banking and Finance/Walbrook Institute & Chair of the Lincoln Branch of the Society of Agriculture. Richard has worked for Barclays for over 20 years in functions lending money to business with the last 9 years focussed on Agriculture and Landed Estates

An accomplished communicator and leader, delivering strategic thinking with a deep understanding of the wider agricultural industry alongside a strong network of contacts.  A 35-year career working in finance, marketing and business consultancy across many sectors of the food supply chain from farming through to retailers.  A successful business owner with a strong track record of motivating and inspiring people to help build and benefit from sustainable business growth. 

Thomas is a Director and Head of Food and Farming in South for Savills

He has over 25 years’ experience in delivering strategic management advice and consultancy to Private Clients and farming businesses.

Thomas delivers day to day management advice with an emphasis on practical consultancy and delivering business objectives. He reports directly to Private Estate and Farm Owners, Trustees and Directors.

In addition to responsibility for routine management reporting and financial planning he delivers strategic reviews including farm business audits and benchmarking against industry standards

He is also involved in delivering strategic management advice on land purchases and the subsequent setting up appropriate farming systems as well as having wide ranging experience in setting up and managing Contract Farming agreements.

He is Trustee and Treasurer of The Society of Agriculture was selected for the Institute of Agricultural Management Leadership Development Programme 2014

Alan Spedding was born on a Lancashire dairy farm and graduated from Nottingham University. He worked for the Southern Counties Beef Recording Society performance recording and costing beef cattle, then with the Beef Recording Association and the Meat and Livestock Commission with Ken Baker eventually running the Beef Demonstration Unit at Stoneleigh. During this period he was Chairman of BIAC,

After the Beef Unit closed he moved to the Royal Agricultural Society of England where he edited their Journal and ran their conference programme. On his retirement he started RuSource with Revd Gordon Gatward at the Arthur Rank Centre to provide farming and rural information, firstly for rural clergy and then for the wider farming and rural community. He is now editor of The Source for the Society of Agriculture and the National Libraries for Agri-Food. In his spare time he rides his bike round North Buckinghamshire and runs U3A Book and Jazz Groups.

Mark Suthern is a highly respected leader in UK agriculture and rural sustainability, with more than 35 years banking experience ultimately supporting farmers, landowners, and rural communities. He spent his career with Barclays Plc, ultimately serving as Managing Director and National Head of Agriculture, where he led national strategy across farming, landed estates, and sustainability.

Today, Mark holds a diverse portfolio of influential roles across the agricultural, environmental, and rural sectors. He is Chair and Trustee of the Arthur Rank Centre and serves as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Flood and Coastal Risk Management for the Environment Agency (DEFRA). He continues to champion the next generation of agricultural leaders as a Mentor for the Lord Henry Plumb Foundation, and he organises the Farming Consultations at St George’s House, Windsor Castle.

Mark has contributed to key national publications and policy thinking, co-authoring The Independent Review of UK Farm Assurance (2024) and the Green Finance Institute report, Financing the Farming Transition (2023). In the faith and heritage sector, he is a Lay Canon and Senior Non-Executive member of the Chapter of Lincoln Cathedral.

Deeply committed to farmer wellbeing and rural resilience, Mark formerly served as Chair of the Farming Community Network (FCN).

Carol (Caz) Johnson CEnv is an Agricultural Consultant with Hexham and Northern Rural, the chartered surveying and land agency division of Hexham and Northern Marts. Caz grew up on the family farm in Appleby, Cumbria, spending her first 18 years helping with milking, lambing, clipping, feeding, harvesting and anything else that came along. After graduating from Newcastle University, she worked for the RPA inspections team, carrying out on-farm inspections of livestock, records and land.

At Hexham Auction Mart, she now works with clients across the North East, Cumbria and County Durham. Her specialist areas include the legacy Basic Payment Scheme, Environmental and Countryside Stewardship, SFI, capital grants work, Agricultural Transition and ELMS.

Matt Lobley is Professor of Rural Resource Management and Director of the Centre for Rural Policy Research. He is a rural social scientist, with over 35 years of research experience, drawing primarily on the disciplines of Rural Sociology and Geography. He has a long-standing track record in the generation of external research income from a range of sources including Research Councils, Government Departments, NGOs, Charities and the private sector. His research largely focuses on understanding influences on and impacts of farm household behaviour. One of his main areas of expertise is in the mental health and well-being of farm households and family life-cycle and succession issues on family farms. Matt is a member of the Board of Rothamsted Research, the National Trust Research Strategy group and is a member of Great South West Food Security Programme Board. He is also a founding member of the Succession Alliance.

Kate Russell FRICS FAAV ASAg CEnv ARAgS is an independent Natural Capital consultant, Agricultural Valuer, Chartered Surveyor and Chartered Environmentalist. She co-founded Tellus Natural Capital Ltd in 2021 to help farmers and landowners across the UK to prepare for and take advantage of emerging markets in ecosystem services.

Katie Slawson graduated with a First Class Agri-Business degree from Harper Adams University in 2024, combining a strong academic foundation with practical experience from her dairy farming background. A BASIS Environmental Adviser, ADOPT Project Facilitator and Land App Accredited Professional, she returned to SRH Agribusiness after her placement year and now works as a Rural Business Adviser, supporting clients with rural grants and schemes, financial management, budgets, cashflows, diversification, compliance and succession planning. A member of the Society of Agriculture (SocAg). She is passionate about helping businesses improve efficiency and management while fostering strong, collaborative relationships with clients. Her work focuses on delivering practical, tailored solutions that enhance both business performance and long-term resilience.

Dan is a director of Lambert & Foster (Bloomfields) Ltd, a land agency and planning consultancy firm based in the south east of England.

Dan grew up and worked on his family beef and lamb farm in West Kent which provided an excellent grounding of the requirements for his clients which he prides himself on utilising into generating practical solutions. Dan completed a Geography degree at the University of Bristol before a post graduate Diploma in Surveying from the University of Reading.  Having always practised in Sussex, Dan has almost 20 years of experience in valuation, estate management, planning and rural agency, working on behalf of a range of private and corporate landowners. In addition to being a Fellow Advisor of the Society of Agricultural (FASAg), Dan is a Chartered Surveyor (MRICS), Registered Valuer, a Fellow of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers (FAAV) and a Fellow if the National Association of Estate Agents (FNAEA).  Having advised clients on a range of rural professional and agency matters, Dan now tends to specialise in rural and agricultural planning, as well as valuation, utility and compensation work.