Graduate Investment & Portfolio
Show details"I provide support to the investment and portfolio team."
James joined Wheatsheaf in September 2019 after the completion of his studies across the Netherlands and Canada.
James studied at Radboud University Nijmegen (BSc International Economics and Business) and Erasmus University Rotterdam (MSc Financial Economics).
Senior Portfolio Manager
Show details"I ensure communications and engagement between Wheatsheaf, our portfolio companies and the wider Grosvenor Estate are effective. I also program manage a series of strategic workshops for the Wheatsheaf Executive team."
Kate joined the investment and portfolio team in Wheatsheaf in 2018.
Kate spent ten years working in strategy and commercial partnerships at Sky and OC&C Strategy Consultants.
Kate holds a BA (Hons) Degree in Geography from Oxford University.
Senior Portfolio and Investment Manager
Show details"I source and execute investments and support our portfolio companies with a particular focus on North America."
Kerry joined Wheatsheaf in 2020 to continue the team’s expansion into the North American markets.
Prior to joining Wheatsheaf, he was a founding member of an organic farmland investment and management firm. In his role as Director of Investments and Asset Management, Kerry oversaw all farmland acquisitions and farmland management, including all operational and financial planning. Prior to SLM Partners, he built and ran the investment advisory arm of The Cleantech Group. There he supported Fortune 500 companies to make both direct VC investments as well as fund investments in sustainable energy and agriculture startups.
Kerry earned his Business degree from Stanford Graduate School of Business, and BA. from Middlebury, where he majored in Environmental Studies with a concentration in Conservation Biology.
Director Investment & Portfolio
Show details"I lead and assist with new and follow-on investments across our portfolio and represent Wheatsheaf at several of our businesses."
Michael joined Wheatsheaf in 2015 from Europe’s largest cleantech private equity fund where he managed all elements of the deal process and represented the firm at several of the portfolio companies.
Prior to this Michael was an Investment Analyst at an entrepreneurial, family-office backed, clean-power investment business operating across Europe. Prior to his investment roles, Michael was a Strategy Consultant with Accenture, working with clients in the Utilities and Energy sectors on major transformation projects.
Michael is a CFA Charterholder and graduated with a first-class Engineering, Economics and Management degree from Oxford University.
Non-executive Director
Show detailsClive trained in Medicine at Manchester University, graduating with Honours in 1995. He then underwent surgical training leading to accreditation by the Royal College of Surgeons of England and the award of a Doctorate of Medicine research degree in the field of cancer research.
Following this early career in surgery, Clive has over a decade of experience in the international Pharmaceutical industry, where he has been involved with the development of a number of important new medicines and has overseen research groups and projects in the UK and internationally.
In addition to his R&D experience he has held positions of responsibility in investor relations and most recently led the major transformation of the UK strategic R&D sites and global HQ for AstraZeneca PLC.
Clive is also accredited as a Pharmaceutical Medicine specialist by the UK Royal College of Physicians and holds an Executive MBA from Manchester University.
Non-executive Director
Show details‘’ As a NED it is exciting to work with such a talented bunch of executives , who are at the cutting edge of new technology breakthroughs. In my role as IC chair I get huge fulfilment and challenge from delving deeper in to so many varied investment choices, delivering an important social and environmental benefit as well as a commercial gain."
As the Chief Executive Officer of Ornua he helped to energise a traditional dairy co-operative to become a “best in class” international performer. Under his leadership, he helped turnover growth of 100% with a compound annual growth rate in excess of 15%. This was achieved through the effective direction and development of a highly motivated executive team and the creation of an ambitious corporate strategy.
Kevin’s early career was with the Kerry Group. Joining in 1987 from the University of Limerick, graduating with an Honours Distinction in Business Studies, he progressed rapidly through commercial roles in the UK, Europe, Canada, USA and Mexico. In 2002, based in Chicago, he became Global President and CEO of Mastertaste, a high technology/high value flavour business. Under Kevin’s leadership Mastertaste grew, organically and through a series of strategic acquisitions, from turnover of $70million to $350million and delivered the highest profit margins within the Kerry Group.
Non-executive Director
Show detailsWilliam is advisor to, and a director of, a number of entrepreneurial or family-owned businesses.
He is founded a private fund which specialises in earlier stage investment in disruptive business models in a number of different sectors.
As an entrepreneur he was the CEO which led the development and subsequent sale of both The New Covent Garden Soup Company and Green & Black’s. He is now Chair of Cawston Press and of LA Brewery. Two premium non-alcoholic drinks brands
Amongst other companies, he is director of Samworth Brothers and Keystone Investment Trust plc.
After reading law at Cambridge University, William qualified and practised as a barrister and then worked as an investment banker before studying for an MBA at INSEAD.
William holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Suffolk.
He is a Trustee of Britten Pears Arts and co-founded The Aldeburgh Food & Drink Festival.
He was High Sheriff of Suffolk in 2016. He is a Trustee of the Suffolk Community Foundation and is President of The Suffolk Wildlife Trust.
He is actively involved in family farming in East Anglia. A mixed organic farm in Suffolk and a mainly arable farm in Bedfordshire. He works and campaigns on a wide range of issues connected with food and the countryside.
Deputy Executive Chairman
Show details"As Executive Trustee of the Grosvenor Estate I am responsible for the Grosvenor Family’s business interests. As well as leading international property company Grosvenor Group I am Deputy Executive Chairman of Wheatsheaf, contributing to our efforts to grow our exposure in food and agri as well as help address how we can grow, produce, distribute and consume food more sustainably."
Mark Preston, FRICS, is the Executive Trustee of the Grosvenor Estate with overall responsibility for the Grosvenor family's business interests. He holds the position of Chief Executive of Grosvenor Group to which he was appointed in 2008.
Earlier in his career, and after joining Grosvenor in the UK in 1989, he was seconded to Hong Kong in 1995, returned to the UK to lead Grosvenor's Fund Management operations in 1997, spent four years in San Francisco from 2002, became Chief Executive of Grosvenor Britain & Ireland in 2006 and was appointed to the Group Board in 2006.
Mark is a Trustee of The Woodland Trust, a Trustee of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and a Trustee for the Westminster Foundation. He is a member of the (University of) Cambridge Land Economy Advisory Board and an Honorary Vice-President of the Cambridge University Land Society.
Operating Advisor
Show detailsDr Alan Barton joined the Wheatsheaf team as an Operating Advisor in 2019.
From 2008 until 2018 Alan was the Chief Executive Officer of Lehigh Technologies, a venture backed early stage company focused on upcycling end-of-life rubber materials into Micronized Rubber Powders that are being used in the manufacture of new tires and other high-performance markets. Lehigh was sold to Michelin in 2017.
Before joining Lehigh, Alan was part of the executive leadership team at Rohm and Haas where he led the global Coatings business followed by responsibility for the North American and Asia-Pacific regions as well as manufacturing and supply chain and related functions.
Alan’s experience covers most sectors of the chemical and materials industry. He currently is a Board member for the venture-backed bio-materials company Renmatix as well as the private chemical distribution company, Wilbur-Ellis. He graduated with a BA in Chemistry from University College, Oxford and has a PhD in Organic Chemistry from Harvard University.
Operating Advisor
Show detailsIan graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Agriculture from the University of Edinburgh.
His executive career, which spans more than 30 years in the agri-business sector, started in agrochemicals before moving into animal breeding.
Ian was one of the original members of the executive team at the foundation of Aviagen, the world’s largest poultry breeding company. He spent 15 years working for the company in various global positions.
His non-executive career has included being Chairman of Cogent Breeding Ltd, Roslin Technologies and Vytelle IVF, a board member of Growsafe Systems , and a non executive Director of OWS Agri.
His current portfolio is Chairman Aurora Jewellery, Golf Galleries Ltd, Horizon Proteins Ltd, and Zantra Ltd. In addition, Ian acts as strategic advisor to Botaneco Limited and SLC Ventures as well as a core group member for Scottish based Angel investment Group Kelvin Capital.
Group Communications Director
Show details"I am responsible for Wheatsheaf’s communications activities as well as those of the wider Grosvenor Estate."
Christian is Wheatsheaf’ Group Communications Director in addition to his responsibilities as Communications Director for the Grosvenor Estate and Grosvenor Group.
He joined the organisation in 2016 from international law firm Linklaters where he was Global Head of Corporate Communications. Previously Christian worked for international law firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, international accountancy firm Grant Thornton, and Ketchum, the communications consultancy.
Christian holds a Masters Degree in Politics from the University of Sheffield.
Senior HR Advisor
Show details"I work closely with the HR Director to ensure Wheatsheaf’s people strategy is designed and implemented to achieve the company’s goals."
Emilie joined Wheatsheaf group in June 2018. Prior to joining Wheatsheaf, she served as an HR Manager for the UK branch of a Spanish multinational company.
Emilie is passionate about international HR and is fluent in French, Spanish, and English.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in HR and International Mobily Management from Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France.
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