Team Members

Christine Tacon

Christine has chaired MDS since May 2016 after a successful career in marketing and general management for companies such as Mars, Vodafone and the Co-operative Group, where she ran their farming business for twelve years. She was awarded a CBE for services to agriculture in 2004.

Christine was the first Groceries Code Adjudicator, a role she held for seven years, and is currently Chair of Assured Food Standards (ASF), which operates the Red Tractor Assurance scheme. She chairs the BBC Rural Affairs Committee and founded the Women in Food and Farming network. Christine holds an honorary doctorate from Cranfield University, where she is also a visiting professor.

• Jason Beaumont, Head of Operations, Horticulture, Morrisons
• Will Holmes, Global Seedcare Product Manager, Syngenta
• Anna Pike, Head of HR, Worldwide Fruit
• Sammy Ronald, Category Technical Manager, Sainsbury’s and MDS Alumna
• Richard Whittle, Director, Protolan
• Lisa Wright, Divisional HR Business Partner, Finsbury Food Group
• Oliver Watts, Head of Procurement, Produce World and MDS Alumni
• Andy Ferguson, HR Director, Greenvale AP