NEW PROGRAMME: Future‑fit capability is now a commercial requirement, not a development choice
New cohort opens for Food Systems Essentials Accelerator Programme. We’ve rebuilt the Accelerator for Autumn 2026 - shorter, more focused, more practical and designed to deliver impact faster.
Food businesses are operating under sustained pressure: climate volatility, cost inflation, regulatory scrutiny and shifting consumer expectations. Most already have strategy. The constraint is execution.
The 4 week Food Systems Essentials Accelerator is designed to close that gap, by building by building the capability to make better decisions, faster, under real commercial pressure. It builds the capability to read system signals, understand how climate and geopolitics are reshaping supply, and see how health is driving demand, and apply that thinking directly to live business decisions.
The outcome is practical. Participants leave able to make faster, more confident decisions, translate system change into clear commercial implications, and navigate trade-offs between cost, risk and sustainability with greater rigour. They reduce friction across teams and apply the learning directly to the decisions they are already responsible for, regardless of role or function.
Sign up before 30th June for a 20% early bird discount
From awareness to execution
Most professionals understand the direction of travel. The challenge is applying it inside complex, margin‑constrained businesses. Ashleigh Horn, Head of Food at COOK: “I came in with a basic understanding, but this programme gave me the confidence and tools to challenge the status quo and push for real change.” Rachel Smith, Head of Development - Packaging, HSD and Brands, Greencore: “I now focus on the levers we can pull to help customers make healthier, more sustainable choices… the programme gave me the confidence to engage with our executive team.”
This is the shift that matters commercially:
Moving from principle to decision-making
Turning sustainability into product, sourcing and commercial choices
Creating internal momentum, not just alignment.
Systems thinking, applied under pressure
“Systems thinking” is only valuable if it changes how decisions are made. Participants describe a move from theory to operating model. Ellen van Domselaar, Sustainability Specialist, Hilton Foods: “What was once a concept is now the key driver in shaping impactful change for the planet and our business.” Jack Pearce, Managing Director, Alfred G Pearce Ltd: “The sessions really opened my mind…moving from a narrow view to a more systemic approach.” Carl Meade, Managing Director, Cranswick Sutton Fields & Cooked & Prepared Poultry: “We need strong sustainability agendas to maintain our food supply chains… but we need to understand how to action these agendas with rigour.”
What this enables in practice:
Connecting supply chain, product and consumer outcomes
Navigating trade‑offs, not avoiding them
Building strategies that hold up under delivery pressure.
Capability only matters if it translates into influence where decisions are made
Participants consistently report a step change in how they show up with senior stakeholders. Nick Henderson, Procurement, Supply Chain & Sustainability Director, Belazu: “I wasn’t an expert, but this programme gave me the confidence to positively lead and direct our sustainability efforts.” Nick Belshaw, Chief Engineer, Cranswick Convenience Foods (Milton Keynes): “The programme has helped me lead critical climate conversations with suppliers and on-site teams.” ” Ashleigh Horn, COOK: “I’d recommend the programme to anyone working in food who wants to accelerate change in this space, not just those in sustainability roles.”
The outcome is practical:
Stronger executive conversations
Clearer articulation of trade‑offs
Greater credibility across functions.
Capability across the whole business, not just sustainability
This is not a specialist course. It builds capability across the value chain, across functions and levels of seniority. Alex Watson, Head of Supply Chain, The Billington Group: “The passionate coaches helped me pinpoint areas where I can drive meaningful change.” Matt Lawton, General Manager Dairy UK & Europe, Dairygold: “This programme helped me connect the dots and tell our powerful story to influence systemic change.” Sarah Babb, Marketing Manager, Ginsters (Samworth Brothers): “Taking action on climate should be top of our agenda… Future Food Movement equips me with the knowledge to lead, and gives my colleagues the tools to accelerate action.”
David Moore, Group Head of ESG, The Compleat Food Group: “The Accelerator gives live access to experts and a deep dive into the climate issues we need to understand and act on.” Nella, Supply Chain & Operations Director, MOJU: “We must understand what major stakeholders prioritise.”
For MOJU, that translated into:
Stronger supply chain strategy
Better alignment with investor and retailer expectations
Clearer understanding of where sustainability drives growth.
Laura Fernandez, Senior Sustainability Manager, Ocado Retail Ltd: “I want to upskill myself to ensure I deliver and drive our strategy… and make sustainability part of our organisation’s DNA.”
This reflects a broader shift: sustainability is now a driver of resilience, reputation and growth, not a separate agenda.
A network that accelerates decision-making
Most businesses are solving the same problems in isolation, slowing progress. The network changes the context. Ashleigh Horn, COOK: “The support and spirit of collaboration among members is incredible… the Expert Events are a highlight of my calendar.” Nick Henderson, Belazu: “The cohort was the entire value chain… that mix was phenomenally valuable.” Zoe Plummer, Head of Marketing, Fairtrade Foundation: “Diversity and inclusion must be central to future leadership – representation is key to solving complex global challenges.”
The result:
Faster learning through shared challenges
Access to real cross‑industry perspectives
Relationships that continue beyond the programme.
A mindset shift that supports future growth
The most consistent outcome is stronger judgement. Charlotte May, Commercial Graduate, Premier Foods: “The leaders of tomorrow must be brave enough to go against the norm.” Glen Wolting, Director Human Rights, Ahold Delhaize: “Future leaders must dare to have unpopular opinions and be the drivers of change.”
Across roles and organisations, the pattern is consistent:
Broader definition of value beyond short‑term profit
Better alignment between health, sustainability and commercial strategy
Greater willingness to challenge existing models.
What this changes for your organisation
The sector needs people who can execute under pressure. This programme builds that capability:
Greater confidence and fluency across teams
Shared language to align functions
Faster, lower‑risk decision‑making.
96% of participants report increased confidence to deliverfuture-fit solutions.
Join us
This is about leading differently, and making better decisions under pressure. If you want to: Influence decisions, not just contribute, build credibility across your organisation and connect with peers solving the same problems, the question is whether you can afford to delay building this capability.