The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board (AHDB) has appointed Laura Ryan as its Sector Strategy Director for Beef & Lamb, who will take up her post shortly.
In her new role, Laura will support the work of the AHDB Beef & Lamb Sector Board, shaping the vision for how AHDB can best support these livestock sectors to become more competitive and sustainable. She will also be responsible for working with the teams across AHDB to deliver agreed plans and to ensure that the ring-fenced beef and lamb levies are used to maximum effect for levy payers.
Laura will work alongside the five other strategy directors who are responsible for Pork, Dairy, Horticulture, Potatoes, and Cereals & Oilseeds. This new team reports into the Chief Strategy Officer, Tom Hind, and is part of the recent restructure of AHDB to improve its delivery to levy payers of the tools and expertise needed by the industry to be competitive into the future.
“I am delighted to have Laura as part of the Strategy team,” said Tom Hind. “She will bring some exciting ideas as well as extensive supply chain and marketing experience to support both the beef and lamb sector and our wider team.”
Biography: Laura Ryan, Strategy Director for Beef & Lamb
Laura joined AHDB Beef & Lamb (formerly EBLEX) in 2007 after successfully launching premium beef and lamb brands within a large butchery business in the North East of England. Working her way through the ranks, she started as Marketing Executive, then was promoted to Marketing Manager (Quality Schemes) and, prior to her current appointment, was Head of Strategic Marketing.
During her time with AHDB Beef & Lamb, Laura has been responsible for the development and delivery of AHDB’s Quality Standard Mark scheme for beef and lamb, including the strategic definition and review of the scheme standards, its auditing regime and marketing communications to both UK and European members.
Laura is founder of the professional networking group Meat Business Women. She has a First Class Honours in Marketing and a Masters in Management. She has won the national prize of Business Leader of Tomorrow and has also achieved Chartered Marketer status via the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
