Jane King, AHDB

Former first female editor of Farmers Weekly and now AHDB chief executive, Jane King says her experience in being selected for farming roles – having not come from an agricultural background – came down to transformational leadership and being honest with the industry. She was thrust into the sector in 2005 for her knowledge of business-to-business media, spending 10 years refreshing the Farmers Weekly business: developing the website and events, revamping its content and brand positioning. A move to AHDB then saw Ms King using her skills to drive better value from levies for the farming industry. Her transferable skill through it all, she says, was change leadership. Ms King says: “I was recruited because I had a proven track record of leading change and at the time the levy boards needed to embrace change to deliver more for farmers and growers.