Neil Robert Willsher
Non-Executive Director & ESSG Chair
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About
Independent Non-Executive Director, Board Chair, Trustee and ESSG Chair with 30 years of international leadership experience across agriculture production & processing and food & beverage manufacturing. I bring a distinctive blend of commercial focus, operational understanding, specialist knowledge, cultural awareness, and governance expertise. My career spans private, family-owned, start-up and newly acquired businesses across the UK, Africa, Asia, USA, and Latam.
I have led organisations through acquisition, integration, turnaround, expansion, and culture change, consistently delivering sustainable value creation for shareholders, customers, and communities. I am a values-led, people-centred leader passionate about the work I do, and I thrive in passing on experience and learning to add value to those I work with. I am known for constructive challenge, analytical rigour, and the ability to build trusted relationships across diverse ownership and cultural settings.
I support boards and executive teams to translate strategy into measurable outcomes, strengthen governance, and embed long-term resilience.
Experience
Non-Executive Director & ESSG Chair - Agristar PTY - South Africa
(2024)
Institutionally-backed family company -Macadamia producer and processor.
- Support transition from family-owned to institutional governance, strengthening board processes, reporting, and risk management.
- Lead ESSG oversight, ensuring alignment with best practice requirements and operational implementation of sustainability, safety, and compliance frameworks.
- Advise on 5-year plan, operational excellence, value-add processing, and go-to-market strategy.
- Support integration of Jacoma partnership and organisational restructuring.
Non-Executive Chair - Jacoma Estates - UK & Malawi
(2022)
Macadamia and spices producer with institutional and founding shareholders.
- Restructure board and organisation to improve governance, financial resilience, and investor confidence.
- Mentor CEO and leadership team to embed operational excellence, regenerative agriculture, and customer-focused value-add solutions.
- Led strategy development including organic growth, partnerships, and acquisition options.
- Strengthened community and government engagement to support long-term sustainability.
Strategic Advisor - Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) - Costa Rica
(2022)
- Strengthen global strategy, partnerships, and implementation to accelerate climate-smart, regenerative agriculture.
- Support companies to achieve measurable sustainability, biodiversity, and carbon outcomes across global supply chains.
Director, Value Chains & Private Sector Engagement - CABI
(2021 - 2026)
International intergovernmental agricultural science organisation.
- Lead global sustainable value chain strategy, turning science into practical, scalable action.
- Advise Nestlé, Palladium/FCDO, Asian Development Bank, Olam and Louis Dreyfus on regenerative agriculture, carbon, biodiversity, and private-sector partnerships.
Management & Investment Advisor - International -Africa
(2020)
Agribusiness – Food, Beverage & Ingredients- Start Up- Scale Up - End to end Supply. Chain Transformation- Sustainable Business to Bain Capital, Agdevco, Novastar, BII
Trustee - St Laurence Educational Trust
(2022)
Non-Exec Academy Ambassador - The 1590 Educational Trust
(2022 - 2023)
Board Member - Kenya Flower Council
Board Member - British Coffee Association
NED & Vice President - UK Tea & Infusions Association
NED - Ethical Tea Partnership
Non-Executive Director - Damin Foodstuff Co. - China
(2012 - 2021)
Largest global tea, coffee, and botanical extracts processor.
- Supported governance, partnership development, and international expansion.
Group Operations Director / Chair / NED - Swire Group — James Finlay Ltd - Global
(2018 - 2020)
- Led global operations strategy across forty-four sites.
- Chaired Aspen Beverage Group (USA), delivering ten-fold capacity expansion and doubling revenues.
- Led development and delivery of major China sourcing and manufacturing start-up.
Group Managing Director - Swire Group — Finlay Extracts & Ingredients
(2012 - 2018)
- Led integration and growth strategy, doubling revenue, and tripling EBIT.
- Led development of strategic supply partnerships with Unilever and Coca Cola.
- Led acquisition and integration of Autocrat and Aspen Beverages (USA)
- Delivered operational turnaround of Kenyan extracts facility.
CEO Africa - Swire Group — Flamingo Horticulture - Kenya
(2008 - 2012)
- Led post-acquisition integration and restructuring of ten farms, 4,000 farmers and two high-care facilities.
- Maintained operations and staff safety during post-election violence.
- Delivered 100T/day Just in time cold chain to EU retail customers.
- Led development of commercial strategy for Dudutech IPM portfolio.
Managing Director - Swire Group — Finlay Beverage - UK & Europe
(2002 - 2007)
- Transformed business from sole-supplier model to multi-customer EU retail supplier.
- Delivered profitable growth with JS, Coop, Asda, Somerfield.
- Implemented world-class manufacturing and culture change.
Managing Director - Finlay Horticulture - Kenya
(1996 - 2001)
- Delivered turnaround across three sites, developed customer centric value add commercial strategy laying foundations for Flamingo acquisition.
Business Development Manager / Field Engineer - Schlumberger - USA, Nigeria, France, Kenya, Angola, Gabon, Libya, Cameroon, Italy, USA
(1985 - 1993)
High tech engineering and business development in oil and gas industry.
Education
Aquaculture - FAO
Climate Smart Agriculture - FAO
Climate Resilient Farming - London Business School
Director Course - IOD
MBA - Swire Advanced Strategic Management Programme - INSEAD
MBA - Surrey European Management School
BSc - Geological Sciences - University of Birmingham
