The recent resignation of Graham Wilkinson from the Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) to join a Canadian food business has left a significant leadership vacuum at a pivotal time for the UK’s farming and food sectors. Wilkinson, known for his pragmatic approach and industry knowledge, was well-regarded across the supply chain – and his departure will be keenly felt.
Naturally, speculation now turns to who will lead AHDB next. The instinctive move would be to trigger a lengthy recruitment process, spend months shortlisting, interviewing, and consensus-building, and eventually arrive at someone who ticks all the procedural boxes. But here’s the challenge: in doing so, AHDB – and organisations like Red Tractor – risk appointing a competent candidate instead of a transformative leader.
It doesn’t have to be that way.
What If We Hired Like Football Clubs?
The world of professional football offers an alternative – and surprisingly relevant – model. When a top club loses a manager, they don’t wait passively for CVs to roll in. They scout talent in advance, identify the right cultural and tactical fit, and go out and proactively court their top choice.
Why shouldn’t AHDB do the same?
This isn’t about glamour or gimmickry. It’s about recognising the critical importance of leadership in shaping the future of UK agriculture. Instead of waiting for applications, the AHDB board – alongside government, levy payers, and allied trade bodies – should ask themselves:
Who is the very best person to lead this organisation over the next 5-10 years?
And then: What do we need to do to convince them to take the job?
That might mean wooing them from a commercial role, an international post, or even outside the sector entirely. It may mean “love-bombing” them – not just with an attractive package, but with a clear mandate, meaningful autonomy, and a long-term commitment to shared success.
Stop Thinking in Salary Terms – Think in ROI
Too often, public and quasi-public sector bodies tie themselves in knots over pay scales and optics. But leadership is not a cost – it’s an investment.
If AHDB brings in the right person – someone with vision, credibility, and the ability to drive real results – then the value they unlock for levy payers, supply chains, and UK agriculture as a whole will dwarf their salary.
In fact, the wrong hire at half the price will end up costing far more in missed opportunities, inertia, and disengagement.
Time to Modernise the Model
This is more than just a one-off leadership transition. It’s an opportunity for AHDB and peer organisations like Red Tractor to rethink how they appoint and empower leaders. Moving from bureaucracy to agility. From process to purpose. From passive to proactive.
The stakes are high – food security, sustainability, public trust, and the future of British farming all hang in the balance. So, let’s stop treating leadership hires as box-ticking exercises. Let’s treat them as the strategic, high-stakes decisions they truly are.
Go out and find the right leader. Give them the tools, the backing, and the freedom to succeed. And pay them properly.
The future of the industry demands nothing less.