Meet The Team

David joined both RASE and IfA as CEO in Autumn 2022. David has had a broad career across a variety of sectors.  For several years, he worked for large corporations, such as Bass, Coca-Cola, BBC, and Bupa covering strategy, marketing, brand and communications roles.  Following this, David spent a number of years in consultancy working with charities such as Sue Ryder, Nuffield Health and Self Management UK.
More recently, David was CEO at Housing Partners, an organisation which supports the social housing sector before moving on to work as a Partner in a fresh food wholesale business which operated across the UK providing dairy, meat & poultry, and fresh produce to care homes, schools and hospitality.

Name? Emily Stillwell

Role at Innovation for Agriculture? PA to Chief Executive Officer

Describe yourself in 5 words? Kind, Curious, Diplomatic, Loyal, Funny.

Specialist Interest? Culinary Arts

What got you involved in Agriculture?

Through my role at the Royal Agricultural Society of England I’ve been privileged to be part of IfA since it was a seedling.

Best piece of advice you were ever given?

One kind word can change someone’s entire day…

When you’re not working for IfA you can be found? 

In the kitchen or leafing through my lovely cookbooks.

Name? Evi Arachoviti

Role at Innovation for Agriculture? Head of Policy and Social

Describe yourself in 5 words?

Adaptable, enthusiastic, responsible, experienced, empathetic

Specialist Interest?

Exploring societal issues and their associated challenges surrounding rural development, in relation to policy making.

What got you involved in Agriculture?

My studies in Agricultural University of Athens

Best piece of advice you were ever given?

Appreciate beauty

When you’re not working for IfA you can be found….

Writing in my book who I meet and where I'm going!

Before joining IfA, Evi was Head of 'Quality of Life in Rural Areas and Diversification of Rural Economy', in the Managing Authority of the Greek Ministry of Rural Development & Food. She also draws experience and expertise from being a Researcher in the Standardisation, Inspection and Certification Authority of Greek Agriculture.

Name? Martha Hayes

Role at Innovation for Agriculture? Head of Stakeholder Engagement

Specialist interest?

I have a herd of pedigree Lincoln Red cattle and I am hugely passionate about producing high welfare, locally produced, delicious food.

What got you involved in Agriculture?

My grandfather and my father. I’m the 4th generation to be involved in our arable farm in Lincolnshire.

Best piece of advice you were ever given?

Everything happens for a reason. Although I do admit that often in farming it can be hard to see why!

When you’re not working for IfA we can find you.....

At the farm or on a horse.

Prior to working at IfA Martha was a freelance journalist alongside her role on the family farm in Lincolnshire, which is a mixed arable and beef enterprise. Martha graduated in 2017 with a first-class hons in Agriculture from the Royal Agricultural University.

Stephen is farmer and has provided farm business consultancy throughout the UK and internationally for over 20 years ; He is head of technical development at Innovation for Agriculture, Director of AbacusAgri & a Non Exec Director of the Agriculture Horticulture Development Board (AHDB). He has previously worked for DFID, FAO, the World Bank & multiple private Co’s in Africa, India & China.  

Stephen has an MSc in Soil Science with experience in soil and water management combining research, development, farmer engagement & training, consultancy, policy development work and practical farming.  

Stephen is a Nuffield Farming Scholar and was awarded the prestigious Bullock Award in 2020 as the Scholar who has most influenced the Agricultural industry in the 10 years since his scholarship.  At home, Stephen farms in Cambridgeshire & in Rutland growing crops and with the UK’s largest agroforestry system – 3D farming and a perfect example of ecological intensification. 

Name? Holly Shearman                              

Role at Innovation for Agriculture? Head of Livestock

Specialist interest? Passionate about sustainable, high health & welfare livestock production, helping farmers on the net zero journey and educating the public on the importance of locally produced, high welfare food.   

What got you involved in Agriculture? I was very lucky to grow up on my family livestock farm and was outside helping with the animals from as young as I can remember, so have always had a passion for the industry and the challenges that farmers face every day!

Best piece of advice you were ever given? If you don’t try you will never know, and every day is a school day!

When you’re not working for IfA we can find you..... Out on the farm, usually doing something involving sheep! Spending time with my young family, walking the dogs, or riding a horse!

Holly grew up on a mixed livestock farm in South-East England, her background is in project managing livestock disease eradication programmes, helping farmers engage with vets and industry to improve the health and welfare of their livestock and ultimately the efficiency and sustainability of their businesses; she is also a Registered Animal Medicines Adviser (RAMA) and feed adviser.  In her spare time, she helps run her family farm, and manages their flock of sheep with her partner. She is passionate about helping farmers farm in a sustainable way, the benefits that this can bring to their businesses and in educating the general public on where their food comes from and the importance of supporting our farmers by buying locally produced, high welfare produce.

Name? Deborah Crossan

Role at Innovation for Agriculture? Soil and Water Manager 

Describe yourself in 5 words? Always planning; project or meal..!

Specialist Interest?

Sustainable Agriculture and Food

What got you involved in Agriculture?

YFC and loving sheep ...

Best piece of advice you were ever given?

Don’t want what everyone else wants ...it will always be too expensive !

When you’re not working for IfA you can be found….

Out walking with an embarrassing terrier.

Mainly focusing on the restoration of UK soils, Deborah's work includes running workshops, discussions and study tours of UK agricultural holdings and concentrates on Knowledge exchange and peer to peer learning. Deborah also coordinates the soil team’s portfolio of EU projects.

Name? Manpreet Kaur

Role at Innovation for Agriculture? Finance & EU Coordinator

Describe yourself in 5 words? Motivated, Conscientious, Efficient, Persistent, Positive 

Specialist Interest? Baking 

What got you involved in Agriculture? 

My role at IFA 

Best piece of advice you were ever given? 

If you are going to rise, you might as well shine 

When you’re not working for IfA you can be found…. 

In the park or garden 

Name? Laura Palczynski
Role? Livestock Research Assistant
Describe yourself in 5 words? Sardonic, introverted, theatrical, pernickety, procrastinator (this was the most difficult part of today…)

Specialist Interest(s)? Dairy calves, laying hens, dog training…

What got you involved in Agriculture? A series of happy accidents! I’m not from a farming background but have always loved animals, leading me to study Animal Behaviour and Welfare at Bristol which sparked my interest in practical implementation of research findings. A couple of years later I found myself accepting a PhD studentship at Harper Adams to explore issues surrounding calf rearing in the UK dairy sector and a few years after that I met Andrew at an event where he invited me for an interview and now here I am, working at IfA!

Best piece of advice you were ever given? My memory’s terrible, so unfortunately I’ve probably forgotten it….

When not working for IfA I can be found? Walking the dog, and sometimes in the background of a local amateur musical theatre show!

Laura joined the IfA team with a keen interest in animal welfare following a PhD from Harper Adams University which explored peoples’ experiences relating to calf rearing in the dairy sector.

Name? Richard Lloyd

Role at Innovation for Agriculture? Precision Livestock Manager

Describe yourself in 5 words? Personable, enthusiastic, visionary, practical, bald

Specialist Interest?

Efficient, welfare friendly livestock farms

What got you involved in Agriculture?

Born on a dairy farm

Best piece of advice you were ever given?

Trust your instinct

When you’re not working for IfA you can be found….

Drinking wine, or watching Wales play rugby

Richard's work focuses on facilitating the correct uptake of SMART farming techniques on livestock farms. Having a lifetime’s background in UK dairy farming and genetics, he coordinated the successful Horizon 2020 thematic network 4D4f (Data Driven Dairy Decisions for Farmers).

Role at Innovation for Agriculture? 

Natural Resources Advisor  

Specialist Interest? 

Soil, soil carbon and ecosystem services. 

What got you involved in Agriculture? 

My childhood, sneaking around the haybales and the solution to many of the world’s issues. 

Best piece of advice you were ever given? 

If you dig a hole, get on the ground and use your senses, you can find an entire part of the biosphere you may have never explored before.

When you’re not working for IfA you can be found…. 

Up a tree, on a cliff or in the water. If not, probably in a hole somewhere, exploring with my silly eared dog. 

Although academia took Arran halfway across the globe to focus on tropical soils, this experience ignited an ambition to focus on the biosphere beneath our feet at home in the UK. With an MSc in Environmental Soil Science Arran gained experience in crop research with ADAS, nutrient management and environmental policy at Veolia and now regenerative agriculture at IfA. Determined to support industry change towards sustainable agriculture, Arran hopes to help farmers with the engagement and knowledge exchange needed to break down the barriers between conventional farming and the farm of the future.  

Name?

Natasha Smith

Role at Innovation for Agriculture?

Communications

Specialist interest?

Regenerative agriculture

What got you involved in Agriculture?

Concern about the environment and climate change, which quickly became being fascinated by how farming holds so many of the solutions to global challenges

Best piece of advice you were ever given?

Dance like nobody’s watching

When you’re not working for IfA we can find you.....

Out walking, wild swimming or morris dancing

Tash is responsible for sharing updates on IfA projects and activities via our newsletter and social media. She has an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security and joins the team with four years’ experience working in agricultural communications and PR.

Name? Mehdi Raza

Role at Innovation for Agriculture?  Interim Finance & EU Coordinator

Specialist Interest? Exploring methods to simplify tasks and conducting numerical analysis to enhance productivity.

What got you involved in Agriculture? I find the Finance & EU Coordinator role intriguing as it allows me to be actively involved in bridging the gap between finance and projects, providing valuable data and Figures to support project leads.

Best piece of advice you were ever given? Embrace failure as a valuable learning opportunity. Failure is not something to be feared or avoided, but rather a steppingstone on the path to success.

When you’re not working for IfA you can be found? Socially active and cricket.