In-person event

Leaders’ Briefing

Leading Through Volatility: Signals, Strategy and Action for the Food System 

An invitation-only gathering of food industry leaders designed to challenge, connect and inspire those with the power to shape our sector’s future. 

Date:
Tuesday 28th April 2026,
6pm - 9pm

Venue location:
Arboretum, 2a Charing Cross, WC2H OHF

Our flagship gathering, brought together senior leaders from across the food system to explore: Leading Through Volatility: Signals, Strategy and Action for the Food System. 

We support food businesses navigating systemic pressure and building resilient, commercial growth. Our advisory work is powered by a cross-system membership, from farmers and suppliers to retailers, manufacturers, brands and investors. This gives us a unique view of emerging pressures and shifts, often before they appear in reports or market data.

Following previous Leaders’ Briefings with Dr Clive Black and Mark Given, this session is designed for C-suite and senior leadership teams. It brings together perspectives from retail, manufacturing, hospitality, NGOs, brands, finance and farming for an off-the-record conversation on the signals reshaping the sector and what they mean for decisions being made today.

Together, we will explore how volatility is reshaping competitiveness, supply chains and growth, and how organisations are turning emerging signals into strategic action.

What happened?

Unfiltered insight from industry leaders

We heard candid, commercial truths in a room designed for honesty, not headlines. This is leadership without the soundbites.

Space for bold strategic thinking

We stepped outside the day-to-day. This evening is designed for bold thinking, honest provocation and reconnecting with what really matters for long-term, sustainable business leadership.

High-trust, high-impact networking

Guests connected with 80+ senior decision-makers in retail, ESG and commercial roles. No pitches - just meaningful dialogue and relationships that unlock future business.

Real talk, not stage talk

Just straight-talking from the people shaping the sector, with the freedom to challenge, disagree and share what's really happening behind closed doors.

Shape what’s coming, not just react

Guests got ahead of the curve with foresight into how credibility, resilience and profitability will be redefined over the next decade. Hear what leaders are preparing for.

A network that moves with you

Guest joined a powerful, growing network of leaders walking the same path - ready to share, support and shape change.

This event has now taken place. Register your interest for future events.

Register here

Meet the speakers

Kate Cawley
Founder,
Future Food Movement

  • Kate Cawley is the founder of Future Food Movement. Partnering with leaders across the food industry - from retailers, foodservice, brands and manufacturers - Kate drives insight-led action on climate, health, and sustainability, aiming to make food a force for positive change. Kate’s focus is on challenging leadership mindsets and believes leaders need to think and act quite differently if we are to achieve an industry wide transformation. Kate founded Future Food Movement to boost business competency and confidence to act, bridging the gap from Boardroom to shop floor with a team of experts in climate, nutrition, public health, regenerative systems, behaviour change and governance, empowering the industry to drive meaningful action. 

Anya Doherty
Founder,
Foodsteps

  • Anya is the founder and Director of Foodsteps, a food sustainability platform that provides data and insights for the food industry to accurately measure, reduce and report their environmental impact. Foodsteps has helped over 150 food businesses improve their sustainability, including the likes of Compass Group, Tesco, KFC and Azzurri Group. Anya founded Foodsteps at the age of 22, before which she conducted research at the University of Cambridge on the environmental impact of food supply chains. She is a co-author of the largest scientific study into carbon labelling of food. Anya also serves as a trustee of two environmental charities, including Youngwilders which she co-founded in 2019, which facilitates youth-led nature recovery projects in the UK.

Richard Crampton
Commercial Director, Fresh & Convenience,
Sainsbury’s

  • Richard has broad retail and supplier experience spanning 28 years across a variety of functions and organisations, including retail, supply, commercial, marketing and digital, and has enjoyed a career in food retail for over 20 years.

    He brings board-level and PLC board experience, including organisational change and restructuring.

    Richard returned to Sainsbury's for the second time in 2021 as Director of Fresh Food, Food Service, Convenience and Petrol, overseeing the group’s commercial strategy and divisional performance. Richard is passionate about quality and security of supply, forged through effective supplier partnerships.

    Outside of work, Richard is a keen runner and cyclist.

Nigel Murray
CEO,
Booths

  • Nigel joined Booths in November 2015 having spent his career to date in the food retail sector with Safeway, Tetley, Asda and Greggs.

    Within Booths Nigel is a member of the Board and leads the Executive team. He is also a member of DEFRA’s Food and Drink Sector Council, a Trustee of The Creative Health Trust UK and is a Marketing Lancashire Ambassador.

    Nigel is a firm believer in and proponent of ‘wholesome localism’ – a state where good quality, healthy and nutritious food and drink can be produced nearer to the point of sale and consumption, supporting local communities, economies and the health of the planet.

    Any spare time is spent watching his son play football, enjoying food, but most of all cycling….reading, watching, fixing and actually cycling! In 2021 he completed the Tour de France route (21 stages) as one of a team of 18 amateur cyclists to raise over £1m for the charity, Cure Leukaemia.

Emily Norton
Chair,
AHDB

  • Emily Norton ARAgS is a Norfolk farmer and founder of Farm Foresight Ltd, a strategic advisory service for the rural sector. 

    Emily has 25 years experience in food, farming and land use systems. She originally qualified as lawyer before undertaking an MSc in Sustainable Agriculture. Her career has taken her from family business to global PLC, with time spent in Brussels and across the UK. Emily has particular expertise in natural capital influences on land, food and farming.

    Emily holds various non-executive board positions in the agricultural sector including as Chair of the AHDB, and as a NED at Soil Association Exchange and the Environmental Markets Board. She is a trustee at the Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association. She is a well known media commentator and lives and farms in Norfolk. 

    Current Appointments:

    • Farm Foresight Ltd, owner and founder 

    • P,R&E Norton, partner (family farm)

    • AHDB, Chair 

    • Environmental Markets Board, board member

    • Soil Association Exchange, non-executive Director

    • Duchy of Lancaster, Rural Committee, member 

    • Royal Norfolk Agricultural Association, trustee 

Fiona Graham
COO,
Family Business UK

  • Fiona is a passionate advocate for the family business sector.  She has spent over a decade working with family businesses ensuring that politicians and policymakers understand businesses operating in the sector, and their needs are reflected in policy and regulation affecting family businesses.  

    Fiona is regularly invited to join Government taskforces and working groups, having sat on the SME Advisory Board, Mid-Sized Business Forum and the Occupational Health Taskforce amongst others. Her career started in politics and policy, including time working in the Scottish Parliament, Scottish Government and leading public affairs agencies.

Senior Leaders joined us from:

Register Your Interest

Places are limited. Register your interest to be considered for the guest list or join the waiting list.

Kate, our founder, hosted a fireside conversation with senior industry leaders exploring: 

  • How leadership teams interpret emerging signals across the food system and translate them into strategic decisions 

  • Where volatility is already reshaping competitiveness, supply chains and long-term growth 

  • How forward-looking organisations are responding to shifting expectations on cost, health and sustainability 

  • What boards and investors increasingly expect to see from leadership teams navigating uncertainty 

  • Where businesses are already shifting capital, procurement and partnerships to stay ahead of the curve. 

Agenda

18:00 - Drinks, canapés and high-trust networking 

19:15 - Fireside Chat and Q&A

20:30 - Networking

The reason I’m here? Because Future Food Movement isn’t just talking about change - it’s creating the conditions for it.

Dr Clive Black
Shore Capital

Frequently asked questions

  • This is an invite only gathering for senior leaders across retail, manufacturing, foodservice, farming and policy. The event is reserved for Future Food Movement members and organisations looking to join in 2026.

  • An honest, high-trust conversation led by industry leaders, followed by purposeful networking with change-makers shaping the future of food.

  • Yes, we encourage senior leaders to bring a relevant peer or decision-maker.

  • You’ll receive a short follow-up with highlights and the option to explore next steps, whether that’s a conversation, collaboration or joining our programmes.