profile: David Gardner

Current role: Head of Fruit Operations

Location: Stoughton Estate and Manchester Head Office

I joined the Farm Management Training Scheme in 1981 and have since progressed within the business to my current role. I joined the scheme because it offered a structured career within a large business committed to agriculture.

The scheme gave me a very varied experience on many different farms with different managers. I experienced managing arable operations and dairy units as well as a brief period managing a farm shop.

I progressed to become the manager of Stoughton Estate in Leicestershire where I spent 10 years. During this period the Estate was modernised and I was involved in managing significant multi-million pound building projects, associated with developing the farm infrastructure.

I am now a member of the Senior Management Team, involved in activities including the process of developing business strategy along with the budgeting and control of the business. I manage the fruit businesses and I am also involved in bringing new technologies into the business.

In 2008 I completed an MBA with Warwick University and I have recently completed a Nuffield Scholarship into New Technologies