Zotus Group Appoints Sarah L Fairburn as Head of Agriculture, to further the company’s strategic goals in the Agri Sector
Founder of the IMP & MAKER brand, creators of gourmet food & drink luxury experiences .Deputy Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Local Enterprise Partnership, the Chair of the Greater Lincolnshire Food Board & UK Food Valley Lead, Non Executive Director for Lincolnshire Chamber of Commerce and previous Chair of the Government’s Towns Deal for Skegness and Mablethorpe (newly-branded Connected Coast) securing 48 million in funding to make our places better to live, work and visit.
A fearless communicator capable of conversing at all levels of industry and an ambassador for organisations in the media and on other public platforms. A regular member of judging panels for regional / entrepreneurial / industry award schemes – including EY Entrepreneur of the Year and Amazon Growing Business Awards.
About My Non-Exec Roles:
Chair Greater Lincolnshire Food Board.
Owning and communicating the Agri-food sector plan for Greater Lincolnshire by leading on strategy and delivery, championing key projects, alongside developing influence and engaging with important businesses. Building on existing representative structures, including the Lincolnshire Forum for Agriculture and Horticulture, National Centre for Food Manufacturing employer panels, and the Grimsby seafood cluster, to articulate a single unified voice for the Agri-food supply chain in Greater Lincolnshire.
Vice-Chair Greater Lincolnshire LEP
Providing the board with insight into Lincolnshire’s growing food industry – a priority sector for the LEP. Greater Lincolnshire LEP works with businesses and local authorities to develop and grow Greater Lincolnshire’s diverse economy. Working with central government and the private sector our mission is to drive investment in infrastructure, skills and innovation to help boost the Greater Lincolnshire Economy and make our great county the destination to live, work and visit.
Previous Experience:
• leading and strengthening the company’s loyal producer network
• looking at new and industry-first ways of working with farmers
• seeking novel and sustainable approaches to welfare,
• directing new product development and innovationI am passionate about understanding business at every level and this knowledge allows me to diversify and vertically integrate all business processes.
The business now has key customer relationships with all major UK retail partners, and I worked hard on ensuring our support and links with farming producers were second to none in the sector.I am incredibly proud to have been part of the senior leadership team at L J Fairburn & Son Limited that has shaped the business to move direct to retail. Since taking over the business from the previous generation, we moved from £12 million to £96 million turnover.
Awards to date:
Marketing Initiative of the Year, BFREPA Awards.
Poultry Business of the Year,
National Poultry Awards.Rural Business of the Year,
Amazon Business Awards.Entrepreneur of the Year,
EY Northern Winner.Family Farming Business of the Year,
British Farming Awards.Manufacturing Company of the Year,
Made in the Midlands Awards.Food & Farming Excellence Award,
Lincolnshire Business Award.
Business Transformation Award, IGD.
