Potato industry veteran retires after more than three decades in the sector

After more than three decades of service to the potato supply industry, Richard Clark, commercial director at leading potato supplier Branston, has announced his retirement. Due to step down from his role later this month, Richard joined Branston in 1989 as a trader with a background in farming, having worked on his family farm for a number of years.

He progressed quickly through the business and expanded his skillset to encompass planning and budgeting in addition to managing grower relationships, before eventually becoming commercial director.

Richard Clark:

"Every day at Branston is different, and I have had a wonderful time over the last three decades learning everything I can about potato supply and contributing to the growth of the business. Branston was very different when I joined back in 1989 and the market is continuing to evolve, but understanding the whole industry has been key to my career longevity and I'm privileged to have had many opportunities to learn and grow at Branston."

"Another career highlight has been building our fantastic teams. I have worked with many talented people throughout my career, both internally and externally, and building these strong relationships has been extremely rewarding. After three decades of potatoes, I'm now looking forward to spending some time travelling with my family."

Jim Windle, CEO of Branston:

"Richard’s dedication and hard work over the years has been invaluable, and we’re immensely grateful for everything he has done to help us grow Branston as a business. It’s been a pleasure to work with Richard and experience his passion for the industry, and we all wish him, and his family, well for the future."

"The longevity of Richard’s career is testament also to the breadth of opportunities and depth of real relationships this sector has to offer. It is possible to have an incredibly versatile career in produce and added value food categories, not least because in these sectors it is critical that you are able to look up and downstream in equal measure and be as close with your supply base as you are with your customers. Very few industries offer or demand this."

"People often aren’t aware of the progression or breadth of roles available in what is a very challenging but enjoyable sector to work. At Branston, we’re committed to investing in people and supporting our team in long-term careers like Richard’s. His expertise will be missed, but we’re equally looking forward to welcoming and growing the next generation of talent, which is well underway."