David spent most of his career in the higher education sector, with the last 23 years in senior roles at Harper Adams University. He took over as Principal in 2009 and became the institution’s first Vice-Chancellor when Harper Adams gained full university status in 2012.
He served as the Chair of one of the two national representative bodies for higher education, helped to shape the Government’s Agri-Tech Strategy and was instrumental in the establishment of the Harper Adams and Keele Veterinary School.
David is also a Patron of the Douglas Bomford Trust and he has been involved in the Independent Review of Labour Shortages in the Food Supply Chain. David was the recipient of the IAgrE Award for Contribution to the Land Based Sector in 2022 and was also recognised with the award of the CBE in January 2022 for his services to Higher Education, the Agri-Food Chain and Rural Industries.
Lyle is Director and shareholder of a small business supplying high specification aggregates and ancillary products to the asphalt industry throughout the UK and Ireland. Working in the quarrying and asphalt industry since 1987, he has held a number of technical, commercial and management positions including at Board level.
A Fellow of the Institute of Highway Engineers and Fellow of the Institute of Asphalt Technology, Lyle is Executive Director of the IAT and has been on the Council since 2009 including Chair of their Membership Review Panel for 7 years.
Born, raised, and living on a horse-focused smallholding in Co Antrim, Lyle also keeps point-to-point horses and young thoroughbred stock.
Sarah started her own business in 2019 as a trainer, coach, and mentor, specialising in supporting women working in male dominated industries. Having always worked in these types of environments, Sarah provides a wealth of experience and practical solutions.
Starting out as a Lantra Off Road and ATV Instructor at Land Rover Experience Eastnor, Sarah worked on the press launches as well as on the Land Rover G4 Challenge. She was also instrumental in securing business for the UK Experience Centres, supporting the delivery of Lantra 4x4 courses to the Environment Agency and the management of the contract.
Sarah has been a Lantra Instructor for the past 11 years and more recently a Technical Verifier.
Alicja is our first Intern Trustee, helping us to ensure our work is informed by a wider range of perspectives and backgrounds. Alicja is keen to understand how policies and legislation impact the land-based sector, and her studies reflect this. She gained a master’s degree in Public Policy at Stirling University, before going on to complete a Modern Apprenticeship in Mixed Farming with Borders College, undertaking additional courses in DIY AI and Lay Scanning.
Although she has a particularly keen interest in cattle and fertility management, Alicja also has experience working in both tree and plant nurseries and is currently working in an administrative role with Forestry Commission, which has given her the opportunity to gain knowledge of global trade of wood and how legislation changes to adapt to new emerging phytosanitary threats.
Alicja is actively involved as a Lantra Industry Champion looking for opportunities in promoting the land-based sector in schools as an innovative and rewarding career for young people.
Also featured in Lantra ALBAS 2022 awards for the following:
- Modern Apprentice of the year
- Agricultural learner of the year
- CARAS award winner
Previously the Chief Executive of the Heart of England Forest, the largest new native broadleaf forest in England, Beth is a personal champion of skills development within the land-based industry. One of the first organisations to take on a new forestry apprentice, Beth also led the charity to develop its own one year paid forestry internship programme, in recognition of the difficulties young people face entering the sector. Forestry Interns are supported to gain a wide variety of skills during their year with the charity, including a range of formal Lantra qualifications.
Beth began her working life on a pig farm. An ecologist by training she spent several years as Director of Conservation and Marketing with Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. Following a brief sojourn to live and work in Poland, Beth has since had Chief Executive positions at the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom, and Fair Train, a charity promoting the benefits of high quality work experience and apprenticeships. Outside of work, Beth runs a smallholding and sits on the Board of the Blue Cross, a national animal welfare charity.
A previous member of the Forestry Skills Forum, as well as sitting on the employer group for the development of the new apprenticeship standards in both forestry and agriculture, Beth is delighted to have been elected onto the Lantra Board and is a proud ambassador of skills development in the land-based sector.
John spent his professional career as a banker specialising in agribusiness for over 30 years before retiring as Head of Agricultural Relations at Danske Bank UK in December 2016.
He now holds a number of roles within the industry including Senior Vice Chairman of AgriSearch and is a Non-Executive Director of the Centre for Innovation Excellence in Livestock. He is Deputy President of the Royal Ulster Agricultural Society, a Fellow of Royal Agricultural Societies (FRAgS) and National Chairman of the Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies. He was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours 2019 for services to agriculture.
John runs a herd of pedigree Aberdeen Angus cattle and is in demand as a livestock judge across the UK and Ireland. He is particularly interested in communication, farming, research, succession, and training. Interests outside farming include Ulster Rugby and several charitable organisations.
Euryn worked in the agriculture sector for forty years, primarily in banking and higher education.
Most recently he was Deputy Head of Agriculture at HSBC UK having previously been the National Agricultural Specialist at Barclays. Training, coaching and personal development were key aspects of his roles in agriculture banking.
Euryn also worked as Lecturer, Head of Department and Farms Director at Welsh Agricultural College and the University of Wales Aberystwyth.
He was awarded a Fellowship (FRAgS) by CARAS (Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies) and holds a BSc (Hons) in Agricultural Economics (University of Wales), and DipMS in Management Studies.
John’s career has spanned the public, private and charitable sectors with 20 years at chief executive level and includes considerable experience as both a Trustee and with Board appointments. As Principal and Chief Executive at Myerscough College, he drove forward considerable developments in education, training and commercial activity. John has held a large number of national and regional roles and has wide overseas experience and networks. He has particular skills in communications and interpretation of policy matters.
Until recently John was independent chairman of the UK Amenity Forum, an EA appointed member of the Severn & Wye Flood and Coastal Committee and chair of the West Midlands Advisory Committee for the Forestry Commission. He is an advisory board member for the Warwickshire Colleges Group and chair of the advocacy group for Winterbourne House and Gardens at the University of Birmingham. He a regular contributor on rural, agricultural and amenity matters to publications, and presents widely on such issues.
John currently advises and writes on matters relating to sustainable practice especially in amenity situations ranging from operational level to those setting policy and in government.
He is an elected Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies and holds honorary Fellowships at both the University of Central Lancashire and Myerscough College, and his chair is at De Montfort University. In 2004, he was awarded the OBE for services to education.
Trefor is an experienced chartered forester and senior leader in sustainable large-scale land management and climate transition and adaptation. He was formerly responsible for the care of Scotland’s 650,000 Hectares national forests and land.
He is a strong advocate for sustainable resource use, multi-dimensional land management and further development of the bioeconomy. As a Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) he successfully led complex and challenging change projects to devolve and transfer the Forestry Commission’s assets and resources in Wales and Scotland.
Trefor is also an experienced programme and project sponsor, who has provided leadership and support for SROs on several large and complex programmes and projects. He strongly promotes assurance in programme/project design and management, resulting in timely commissioning and acting on learning from independent Gateway and Healthcheck Reviews.
He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters Professional Standards & Educational Committee and a trustee of the Scottish Forestry Trust.
Trefor is passionate about developing the accredited skills needs of the land-based sector, with a particular interest in health, safety & wellbeing, innovation and digital technologies.
Martin is a Trustee and vice chairman at the agricultural charity the Addington Fund, where he also chairs the Governance Committee. He is also a member of the Yorkshire Agricultural Society’s Charitable Activities Committee, and is a regular presenter and facilitator at training courses run by the British Institute of Agricultural Consultants.
He is a past Trustee of the Royal Agricultural Society of England, and of the East of England Agricultural Society, and was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Agricultural Management in 2009.
Martin is passionate about training and learning. He studied agriculture and business management at Seale Hayne College in Devon and went on to work throughout the UK in farm business and related industry consultancy for twenty years.
Dave is currently Chair of The Hannah Dairy Research Foundation and a member of the Scottish Dairy Growth Board. He is a Nuffield Farming Scholar, and a Fellow of both the Institute of Agricultural Management and of the Royal Agricultural Societies.
Dave studied Agriculture at Reading University, followed by a PhD at Wye College. On leaving University Dave joined the East of Scotland Agricultural College and moved to Dumfries in 1982, subsequently as Head of The Dairy Research and Innovation Centre (Crichton Royal Farm) and then Head of Agriculture and Business Management Dept. at SRUC before retiring in 2021.
Dave has focussed on knowledge transfer and training both within the UK and in sub-Saharan Africa.
Mary has thirty years of rural sector experience and extensive experience in the veterinary and animal health industry. In her current role as Vice Principal Skills and Lifelong Learning at Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC) Mary leads on apprenticeships, further education including accredited school courses and lifelong learning provision through SRUC’s Skills Academy for the Rural and Natural Economy. Previously as a business Director, Mary coached and mentored veterinary professionals through transition from undergraduate education.
Her volunteering experience includes Board level involvement as a Countryside Learning Scotland Trustee, Vetlife Trustee, delivery of practical skills training for veterinary undergraduates at the Worldwide Veterinary Service in Thailand, and for The Donkey Sanctuary in Ethiopia.
Mary is passionate about furthering the development of accredited, excellent, and engaging skills training at all levels, implementing the use of digital technologies to enhance practical skills training and broaden access to rural skills education.
Bernard Zakary is Head of Energy & Utility Skills Independent Assessment Service, an Ofqual recognised awarding organisation specializing in technical and safety critical end-point assessments and other qualifications for utility and adjacent industries.
Bernard has worked in education for his whole career, starting as a teacher of mathematics in Coventry and later specialising in vocational education and assessment.
He has worked for awarding organisations developing qualifications for the past 15 years.
Bernard enjoys foreign travel, cooking, sailing, photography and playing guitar.
