Kieran Mulock-Bentley

8 years combined experience in the agriculture and fundraising sectors in the UK and southern Africa. Have experience working in varied roles across the food supply chain. Fundraising on behalf of large local and international charities including RNIB, WWF, British Heart Foundation, BLF and SCOPE. Management-level responsibilities in agriculture, horticulture and fruit packing logistics reporting to senior managers and directors. Strongly passionate about regenerative agricultural strategies, environmental and biodiversity rewilding, community development and rural affairs. Strongest skills include business administration planning, UK farm assurance policy, adaptive communication, strategic relationship development, process formulation, budgeting and forecasting and mediation. BSc with Honours in Agriculture from the Royal Agricultural University and working towards and MSc (distance learning) in Marine Science with a focus on Renewable Energy Technology from Heriot Watt University.

My first role in farming was a university placement working as an Assistant Farm Manager for a former Zimbabwean commercial farmer ,who had resettled in Mkushi, Zambia, named Paul Francis. Paul operated a large-scale commercial farm (Francis Farms Ltd) also growing tobacco, wheat, soya, seed maize and an avocado nursery and a herd of 200 head of beef cattle. 

After university I joined one of Europe’s leading Aberdeen Angus breeders, The Rosemead Herd (Lydling Farm) in Surrey as a General Farm Worker with the intention to develop my knowledge and experience as a herdsman and gain experience operating large agricultural machinery. 

Following on I spent 3 years as a Farm Manager on 6 ha soft fruit farm in Kent, MJ Fruit Farms Ltd (a subsidiary of Rodanto Ltd), growing the Kwanza variety of raspberries under polytunnels. As a Farm Manager I achieved target yields for 3 consecutive years, before moving to new role with WB Chambers Ltd. As Assistant Packhouse Manager at WB Chambers Ltd I gained skills in a new sector of the fresh produce supply chain. My duties covered labour and operations planning of the packhouse, logistics planning, cold chain management, packhouse budgeting and charges, quality control and account management with Camposol, one of the world’s largest fresh produce suppliers. 

I have most recently worked in a Business Development role on the Agricultural desk for McGregor Group, a manufacturing company supplying polytunnel style buildings to the livestock and poultry sector in the UK and Europe. 

I graduated in 2015 with a BSc (Hons) Agriculture degree from Royal Agricultural University, Cirencester where I achieved an upper 2nd class grade. I am currently working towards an MSc International Marine Science degree.