Bruce Braithwaite

International operating executive with more than 25 years taking responsibility for complex businesses, people, assets, budgets and performance — including businesses that needed to be stabilised, restructured and made to perform. Value is at the point where leadership, commercial accountability and operational reality meet. Seeking CEO, Managing Director, COO, Executive Director or senior General Manager responsibility where an owner, board or investor needs an experienced leader to take control, establish accountability, improve performance, lead people and deliver measurable results.

Executive Turnaround & Operations Specialist - AMSCO Africa / Zambeef Products Plc - Zambia

(2024-01)

Executive secondment focused on transformation, operational performance and management capability within a major publicly listed integrated agribusiness.

• Mandate covers dairy, beef, feedlot, forage, cropping, infrastructure and management development.
• Operational scope includes 4,200 dairy cows, 19,000 beef cattle, approximately 7,000 hectares within the operating platform, an abattoir and multi-million-dollar budgets.
• Introduced KPI-driven accountability and management systems to give leadership clearer visibility of performance, ownership and corrective action.
• Led operational improvement programmes across livestock and forage systems, including feed efficiency, calf development, reproduction and production discipline.
• Developed expansion and infrastructure investment plans, connecting operational requirements with capital allocation and long-term value creation.
• Strengthened management capability through structured leadership development and clearer accountability.
• Developed integrated beef-on-dairy systems intended to increase value capture and profitability.

Agricultural Director - Private Office of His Highness Crown Prince Mohammed Al Sharqi - UAE | South Africa | Pakistan | USA

(2021-01)

Senior executive/advisory position with responsibility for investment strategy, food security, infrastructure development and operational delivery across diversified agricultural interests.

• Accountability for annual operating and capital budgets exceeding ZAR 350 million.
• Evaluated investments, developed business cases and managed major projects from concept and feasibility through procurement, construction, commissioning and operational handover.
• Led diversified programmes spanning dairy, beef, sheep and goats, buffalo, protected agriculture, apiaries, eggs and greenfield developments.
• Authored the UAE White Paper on Sustainable Beef Production following four years of research and development with Texas A&M University and international specialists.
• Directed implementation of protected-agriculture systems using Cravo technology and automated Israeli fertigation/irrigation, with production capacity of 240 tonnes of premium vegetables annually.
• Contributed to planning a proposed 50,000-head integrated beef production platform in Saudi Arabia.
• Advised sovereign stakeholders and participated in strategic engagements involving ministers, heads of state and senior government officials across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Mexico and the United States.

Founder & Managing Director - Honchos Group - Southern Africa

Entrepreneurial CEO/MD experience — building a food-service business from start-up, establishing scalable operating systems and ultimately exiting the business.

• Founded the business and took direct responsibility for strategy, operations, people, supply chain, commercial controls and expansion.
• Built franchise and operating systems capable of supporting multi-site growth.
• Successfully exited the business; the Honchos brand subsequently expanded to more than 90 outlets across Africa.
• Demonstrated ownership-level accountability for commercial performance, organisational development and value creation.

General Manager - Sansaw Estates - United Kingdom

(2017-01 - 2020-12)

Full operational and financial responsibility for a 1,750-cow dairy enterprise across approximately 4,500 acres, with annual budget responsibility exceeding £4 million.

• Stabilised an operation experiencing workforce turnover and inconsistent operational performance.
• Built a stronger management structure and high-performing leadership team.
• Improved profitability, milk quality and operational performance through management discipline and clearer accountability.
• Assisted design and development of a 2,000-cow expansion project and oversaw technology and management-system integration.

Head of Agriculture - Crouchland Farm & Biogas - United Kingdom

(2013-01 - 2017-12)

Led integrated agricultural and anaerobic-digestion operations across eleven farms and multiple business units.

• Delivered a significant operational turnaround, moving dairy performance from an operation requiring weekly veterinary intervention to a leading Sainsbury's-contracted operation.
• Managed more than 38,000 tonnes of annual forage production.
• Directed feedstock systems supplying approximately 120 tonnes per day to anaerobic-digestion facilities.
• Eliminated environmental spill incidents through stronger systems, controls and management accountability.
• Built a culture of ownership, accountability and continuous improvement.

Agricultural General Manager - Fairfield Dairy - South Africa

(2005-01 - 2013-12)

Directed integrated dairy, beef and cropping operations with full operational and financial responsibility.

• Expanded operations through acquisition and development while maintaining financial and operational control.
• Developed a recognised Holstein breeding programme and produced the highest genomic Holstein bull in South Africa at the time.
• Maintained beef herd calving rates averaging 96%.
• Achieved six Royal Agricultural Society Gold Cups and multiple Master Dairyman awards, including Platinum status.
• Served on the Board of Directors of the South African Holstein Society.

Owner & Managing Director - Dairy Dale Farming - South Africa

Direct ownership and management of a commercial dairy enterprise.

• Owned the commercial result and carried responsibility for production, people, assets, procurement and financial outcomes before exiting to pursue larger international leadership opportunities.