Our People

Lisa Knight

Advice for changing your career path:

Lisa Knight, Service Delivery Compliance Manager, has moved her career from customer support to compliance management by building networks and embracing new learning opportunities.

Lisa says:“I believe that you don’t need to follow one set career path. I joined AB Agri in February 2011 as a Customer Support Coordinator. As I began to understand more about what I wanted to do in my career, I focused on developing my skills and building networks. That’s what has brought me to where I am today.

I came from a background where I didn’t have any formal data or technical support qualifications. I was either self-taught or learned from my peers. I was given the opportunity to pursue a new career, and as a working mum, the flexibility and support to help me with this has been fantastic. I’ve also just completed an Improvement Technician apprenticeship with AB Agri, achieving a distinction!

If there’s something you want to explore in your career, my advice is to build your network and shadow people and teams to get a feel for the different environments and roles. Then, if it feels right, work with your manager to create a plan, identifying areas for development and considering options like mentors or formal courses.”

Jeff Hill

Everyone brings their own strengths to the job:

Meet Jeff, a Production Manager in our Global Supplements team who shares his experience of joining us and how he unlocks his teams potential.

Jeff says:“Before joining the business, I worked in a production environment making sauces and ready-meals for restaurants and hadn’t worked in animal feed or the supplements industry before. The key thing was many of the skills I had were transferable, and I was made to feel comfortable from the day I arrived. While the business is growing I’ve really been trusted to reshape the process within my area - the production filling of NAF and Nutrilabs branded products.

Production is a unique environment. It’s busy, but it’s the kind of busy where you feel accomplished at the end of the day. Working alongside the excellent operators and team leaders really makes the day , particularly when there’s still a lot of manual tasks. We have to work together closely and at pace, but we also remember to have a laugh, which is really important.

The learning experience here is very hands-on, which works well for people who want to come from different industries. Everyone in my team brings their own experiences and strengths to the job; we are a mix of different skills and approaches. Some people are more pragmatic, while some of us are more direct, or learn through procedures. But for me it’s about understanding the strengths of the whole team and working together to make the most of everyone’s skills.

I’ve had managers who over the years have pointed out to me that it’s not just about having a degree, or needing an academic background: it’s about the willingness to put your shoulder to the wheel, be flexible, learn and persevere with an eye for detail. Now, as a manager that’s how I unlock potential in my team, look for the strengths, individual skills, and attitude to learning.”

Aderonke Awe

Exploring the business through her supply chain career:

Aderonke has been with AB Agri for five years, starting as a Warehouse and Logistics Analyst progressing to her role now as our Head of Supply Chain, EMEA Aderonke shares her experience of navigating her career.

“If you’re passionate, that’s when you do your best work. At AB Agri, you can align your passion with the direction the business is heading, which opens so many opportunities to learn.” After a few years as a Warehouse and Logistics Analyst, my role expanded into Production and Logistics Manager, where I oversaw local logistics activities and developed a relationship with a global warehouse partner in Rotterdam. It was fascinating—there was so much depth to it, and it allowed me to gain insight into all sides of the business.”

Throughout her journey, Aderonke has been supported by various people in the business and references that“They’re always willing to listen—sometimes your thinking will be challenged, which is absolutely fine. It comes from a place of support and belief in your ability, no matter how unconventional some of your ideas might be!”

Reflecting on her career and the advice Aderonke now provides to her team and the wider business Aderonke says: “It’s one of those things I look back on and think, it’s only at a place like AB Agri where you can come up with an idea, even beyond your field, and people are willing to listen and support you in exploring it.”

Clare McCafferty

Getting the right ingredients for a successful business:

Our nutritionists play a vital role in helping us meet the needs of our customers across the AB Agri family. Clare started riding at the age of four and then went on to spend as much time helping at the stables as she could. As a child she wanted to be either a mounted policewoman or a vet, but claims she wasn’t fit enough for one or smart enough for the other (we disagree!).

She joined Premier Nutrition as a support nutritionist, working across species, which she found invaluable for gaining perspective and an understanding of wider nutritional issues. She says her multispecies knowledge often helps her with problem solving in her current role. She moved 300 miles to work at Rugeley (Premier Nutrition’s site in central England) and says it’s the best thing she has ever done.

Clare says: “We manage equine accounts which are very diverse. We are always kept busy. Premier Nutrition has been very supportive, for example enabling me to take a course so I can prescribe some animal medicines including anthelmintics (wormers). I’ve also done a range of short courses and I am currently part of the AB Agri mentoring scheme, which is widening my knowledge of feed production and account management.”

The team has some high-profile customers as they work with the British equestrian team – and Clare says: “It has been exciting to work with ‘podium potential’ teams in disciplines such as para dressage. They’ve helped new international riders work out the best diet for their horses. It’s a great feeling to see them go on to compete at the highest level. I was glued to watching the Olympics this year!”

Adam Mitchum

Impactful opportunities at the right time:

Adam’s career at AB Agri is a testament to the opportunities available across the wider Associated British Foods plc (ABF) group. His journey has been marked by strategic career moves and development at the right time.

"When I reflected on my future career aspirations, I identified some skills gaps, particularly in reporting and controls. Fortunately, AB Agri and the broader ABF group offer a wealth of opportunities to explore different aspects of finance. My line manager was instrumental in helping me step outside my comfort zone and take on roles that provided the experience I needed."

Adam also participated in the ABF-wide finance development programme, which focuses on building self-awareness, enhancing knowledge, and creating strong networks to develop future finance leaders. "This programme was a game-changer, giving me exposure to high-level financial strategies and a network of peers across the ABF group."

With the skills and experience gained, Adam secured an internal promotion within AB Agri's dairy division, transitioning from his role as Financial Controller to Head of Business Performance.

"My journey is a reflection of the support and opportunities available at AB Agri. The chance to continuously grow and move into roles that challenge and excite me has been invaluable."

Samantha Hammett

There’s so much to gain from an apprenticeship:

Sam joined us in August 2017 as a HR Analyst and through conversations with her manager and our Learning & Development team found an apprenticeship that gave her the skills to progress her career and share learnings with her colleagues.

“My role has really expanded since I started, and as I started to implement new things in the various parts of the systems I was working on, I wanted to build on my knowledge and experience in data analytics and further. The learning and development team helped me to put my learning plans into perspective and suggested the right level of qualification to pursue which was my level X Apprenticeship – it was definitely the right decision.

It was a very different world, going back to academia after so long; it was a learning curve to get around, but it’s been really worth it.

Completing this apprenticeship has been ultimately down to the support from my managers and from the talent development team who kept me motivated and checked in on me. My manager and I had allocated time where I could focus entirely on my course and assignments as well as checking in to see how I was doing - it was nice to know that they cared, and that the support was there if I needed it.

My apprenticeship has greatly enhanced the skill set that I bring to the table as an individual: all the skills and experience that I gained through that opportunity are helping me to bring more value to help team and the business.

I would say to anyone that if you wanted to develop and an apprenticeship might be available in that area, you should absolutely 100% go for it - because you've only really got things to gain from doing it.”

Rasa Vasiliauskaite

This journey has been a welcome surprise, thanks to my great team:

Since joining 8 years ago, Rasa’s role has progressed from operating machines to leading the team for the liquid filling department in Global Supplements and talks about her experience so far.

“I picked up working different machines in the department pretty quickly, and my manager noticed and asked if I was interested to learn more with some of the other technology on the site. After a year of learning and working with different people I had been offered the team lead role. I was really surprised because at the time I was the only woman operating machines, and it was really encouraging to be supported into a more senior role.

I really like learning and staying busy, so this role has been a great match as it gives me daily challenges to try and resolve. With our team it really does feel like I am supported and if there are any problems, we work through them together. The structure and shift of the role gives me my work-life balance – I never thought I would get into a role where I have that crucial time to spend with my friends, family and my partner and our dog!

Having control and freedom to explore my role more has been important to me. I’ve been looking more at how my role links to the bigger picture and since then I have started doing some management courses and really looking forward to upskilling so that I can move to the next step in my career!”