MDS Pathways: History & Film

Lottie Rayner joined the MDS Graduate Scheme in 2024 after completing a history degree at the University of Exeter. She worked in the film and television industry before making the move to agriculture. She is currently seconded as a Technical Assistant with dps.

What made you decide to study history at university?

While at school a guest speaker told me that historians needed great detective skills, analysis, and the ability to look creatively at information to form new conclusions. I took particular joy in all those skills, and I also loved history, so it was a natural choice that served my passions and developed my analytical and reporting proficiencies. I studied in Munich for a year and relished the opportunity to be out of my comfort zone in a new country, learning to work in international environments and appreciating new cultures and different working styles. In my academic and working life since, I have always sought out opportunities to work abroad and with international clients as I find this work the most stimulating and fulfilling.

How did you get into the film and television industry, and what skills did you develop during that time?

While I was at university my part-time job was as an extra on television shows; I also worked as a news presenter, had some small roles on television series, and enjoyed real responsibility as the head of a radio station’s news team finding interesting stories, organising and conducting interviews, editing and airing reports, hosting live shows etc. I pursued these passions after university diving head-first into the film and television industry. I worked my way up in the Production team, working closely with directors, cast and crew. I learnt to succeed in fast turnaround high-pressure environments and utilised my natural desire for efficiency to streamline processes and increase productivity. With the confidence I have from performing, I found I was comfortable speaking to anyone at any level and this leant itself to taking on more responsibility and management roles. But the film industry has been catastrophically hit over the last years with the writers strikes, SAG and the commissioning crisis… and I knew it was time to leave.

Why did you think you would make a good MDS Trainee?

I believed I could use the skills and experience I had gained as a Third Assistant Director in the film industry (comparable to a Junior Project Manager) to offer fresh perspectives in the food industry. There are surprisingly many crossovers between the filming and fresh produce industries, namely the high-pressure fast turnaround environments. Having thrived in these environments, I knew I could utilise the skills I’d already learnt into being a successful MDS Trainee, making meaningful contributions to companies. I found I am a naturally efficient person who enjoys streamlining processes which lends itself very well to creating clear SOPs and locating/solving obstacles to productivity. I knew with MDS I could take the experience and skills I’d already developed and build on them.

Coming from working freelance, I am accustomed to joining new teams and am comfortable building relationships quickly. I am good at recognising where I can contribute meaningfully to help a team and I get stuck in straight away, utilising my skill set to help the team achieve their goals. Learning quickly, I can adapt to different SOPs and pick up new information well.

Why did you apply to the MDS graduate scheme?

I wanted to pursue a passion of mine – food and plants!

I am an all-rounder but often your profession causes you to become niche; I loved that MDS would allow me to develop my all-rounded nature through different job roles and also ensure my skill set was broadening.

Coming from outside of the agri industry, having multiple roles would also give me the opportunity to learn different sides of the supply chain and hopefully provide a good overview as well as allowing me to build specialised knowledge in certain areas.

I am very keen to work abroad as I have loved the opportunity for this in the past; I recognised the calibre of Member companies that MDS work with, some who are located abroad themselves, and others that work with key international clients. I remain excited at the opportunities to work with these companies.  

How have you utilised your skills to support Member businesses and the wider industry?

I am proactive at problem-solving and naturally like to find more efficient workflows, so I identify blockers quickly and offer mitigating solutions to the team and stakeholders. I am currently working on a project with our Senior Technical Compliance Manager to streamline our processes with the laboratories we work closely with to ensure the timelier testing of our samples. Similarly, I am working to standardise key categories trackers so we can more clearly track overview changes and compare trends.

Utilising my experience from the film industry, I am leading a project to provide videography for the company in an aid to create a clearer company image and to pursue new branding and marketing opportunities.

Having been responsible for cross-functional teams in my previous work, I can effectively liaise between stakeholders in our supply chain, colleagues in the company, and communicate clearly with our clients.

What would you say to someone considering a career in the industry?

Embrace the variety and complexity of the industry; try to experience as much as you can of different parts of the supply chain to build an awareness as you will inevitably work in cross-functional teams.

It is a challenging time to join the industry as it is being hit by ever-increasing global pressures and climate issues. But it is also an exciting time to join as this is forcing innovation and driving movement towards sustainability and new farming practices that aim to solve the conundrum of a growing number of mouths to feed but less available land to farm. Dive in with an open mind to learn.