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.
