Dr Keith ***** is a widely experienced agricultural technologist and business leader. He has over thirty years experience in global crop production and an excellent reputation in the UK and Irish industry, in Eastern Europe, Africa and globally. Dr ***** has a proven track record of business building, research, market development and innovation in crop production, environmental projects, research and land acquisition. He has worked for UK and Scottish Governments and in multinational agribusinesses for BASF and Shell Agriculture over the last thirty years. He was technical and marketing director for Europe’s largest crop protection/contract spraying business for seventeen years. Over the last decade he has established significant consultancy and several business start ups in the EU and Eastern Europe from £10-£200m.

In particular Dr ***** has been an essential Principal in raising and implementing over £200m of foreign investment in land acquisition and farm development in Eastern Europe over the last four years as a director with ***** ***** Group Ltd Landkom International, and ProCam Polska. This has led to acquisition and development of over 120, 00ha of new agricultural cropped land in Poland and the Ukraine and the successful launch of two listed companies on the London Stock Exchange, aswell as third party jvs and private placements. He has worked on projects throughout the EU and also in Ukraine, Russia, Sudan, Egypt, Israel, Peru and Cuba.

Dr ***** has published widely in international scientific journals and in the press on a broad range of subjects covering crop protection, groundbreaking research on greenhouse gas emissions, energy crops, nutrient management, diffuse pollution, GM technology and Integrated Farm Management. He is currently Technical Director and co-founder of ***** ***** Group Ltd who farm over 30, 00ha in Eastern Europe and Ukraine and Technical Director of Havana Energy.

Until 2010 he was head of the largest agricultural and energy crop consultancy business in Northern UK as Principal Crop Consultant for the Scottish Agricultural Colleges working for the Scottish Government. He has worked through his directorships at the Scottish Crop Research Institute and Shell Agriculture subsidiaries, together with senior positions at SAC, BASIS, and LEAF and through his work with a variety of UK and Scottish Governmental Panels and Forums. He co-wrote Scottish Natural Heritage’s TIBRE Manual-aimed at environmental protection and new technology in agriculture utilizing new technologies. This was recognised in 2008 with the award of the Agricultural Adviser of the Year. He is currently Vice President of the Scottish Society of Crop Research.