Manchester, England, United Kingdom
Passionate about true sustainability, my journey began on a small yet diverse family farm in the North West of England. This childhood experience instilled in me a deep appreciation for the rapid technological changes within agriculture and their positive impact on the triple bottom lines—empowering people, increasing profitability, and benefiting the planet. Starting my career as a Mechanical Engineer, the diverse needs of my agricultural clients led me to transition into a Multidisciplinary Engineer, cultivating a more diversified skill set. While Mechanical Engineering remains fundamental, the industry's digital shift demands proficiency in automation, computer coding, and, more recently, a solid understanding of computational vision. Over the years, I've gained valuable experience in meeting industry standards and implementing best practices across multiple sectors. A simple yet important realisation was that technology proves truly beneficial when it's the right choice and used effectively. Effective communication plays a crucial role in understanding clients' needs and facilitating open discussions about current process effectiveness. Unfortunately, technology is sometimes applied as a quick fix without addressing underlying issues. Implementing the right technology involves considerations of change management and social sciences, influencing team buy-in and utilisation. Getting this right often leads to the biggest ROI and where I often spend the most time negotiating with clients in order to get successful outcomes. Over the years, I've greatly benefited from the guidance of mentors and active participation in continuous professional development (CPD) programs. These experiences, especially the valuable perspectives gained from my Nuffield Scholarship, have allowed me to appreciate diverse viewpoints along the agricultural chain and the opportunity to hone professional skills, such as public speaking. Connecting with farmers, policymakers, and consumers globally, I've acquired invaluable insights that drive my commitment to delivering practical and innovative solutions to the agricultural community. Beyond my professional pursuits, I actively contribute to the open-source community, supporting local farmers, attending networking events, and continuously seeking opportunities to learn more. If you feel that your technology investments aren't yielding as much as they should, or if you're unsure about the right choice for you, feel free to get in touch: [email protected].
Devoting a significant portion of the week to offering tailored tooling and process refinement guidance to seedling producers both domestically and internationally. Periodically creating innovative solutions and conducting research in collaboration with industry partners and academic institutes.
Responsible for the design, engineering and bench marking of tech solutions for the aquaponics sector.
Providing strategic insight on technology viability and helping bridge conventional agriculture and the urban growing sector.
Nuffield Farming Scholarships Trust award approximately 20 individuals each year with the opportunity to research topics of interest in either farming, food, horticulture or rural industries or are in a position to influence these industries. Awarded a bursary to facilitate my study and global understanding of technology development, adoption and usage within agriculture.
Facilitated hands-on classes where undergrad students constructed basic robots and gained an introduction to computer programming. Guided students in building the foundational knowledge and skills required for practical implementation of the learnings from lectures.