I have 12 years' experience as a company director, with proven commercial ability (particularly in the management and control of risk in an international context); a sound scientific background and an excellent track record in the management of research. I am a recognised authority on the commercial development and production of novel oilseed crops. My particular experience includes:

• Direct management responsibility for all aspects of research and procurement of botanicals for a major UK biotechnology company, with a peak operating budget of £600k and purchases of £5m per annum.

• Establishment and management of a reliable and cost-effective seed production and purchase programme in a challenging environment, which included uncertain demand forecasts, unreliable crop production, long lead-times and a highly competitive international market. This was achieved through strategies for risk avoidance and control, and the establishment of long-term personal relationships.

• Negotiation of effective, competitively priced, mutually beneficial production agreements within the context of stable partnerships with suppliers in 10 countries, of which China was the most important.

• Negotiation and establishment of a joint venture company for the extraction of seed oils in China in which (unusually) the Chinese partner provided the finance.

• Establishment and management of a highly successful plant research unit specialising in the agronomy and breeding of novel oilseed crops, culminating in the effective domestication of two species new to agriculture.

• Initiation, negotiation and commercial management of a world-class biotechnology research project at a UK government research institute, resulting in the successful identification of the target gene and its functional transfer into a foreign species.

• Non-commercial, voluntary contributions to the scientific community through serving on management and technical committees in the fields of economic botany and biotechnology, and as an invited speaker and author on the subject of new crops

• Assistant editor for Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Industrial Profiles) book series, Harwood Academic Publishers (now Taylor and Francis).

A full curriculum vitae is available on request

1978 - 83	Hurst Gunson Cooper Taber Ltd, Witham, Essex Breeding agricultural lupins (Lupinus albus and L. angustifolius) for animal feed, and evening primrose (Oenothera spp.) for healthfood and pharmaceutical use, on contract for Efamol Ltd
1983 - 1999	Efamol Ltd (later Scotia Pharmaceuticals Ltd), Guildford, Surrey Natural Resources Officer, responsible for production and research for all botanical raw materials
(1986)	Appointed to the board of Efamol Ltd (later Scotia Pharmaceuticals Ltd) as Seed Production Director
1999 -	Independent Consultant, Dorking, Surrey          Visiting Lecturer - University of Surrey Associate Editor - Economic Botany Assistant Editor - Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Industrial Profiles) Category Editor - Open Directory Project (www.dmoz.org)

Age:	51
Education:	MA (University of Cambridge - Natural Sciences ) awarded 1978
	PhD (University of Cambridge - Plant Breeding) awarded 1979
Societies:	Institute of Directors (Fellow)
	Royal Horticultural Society
	Society for Economic Botany (Past Council member and UK President)
	Society of Chemical Industry

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