Co-founder of Leon, food campaigner, speaker and non-executive director.

Before founding Leon, Henry worked at Bain & Company, working on private equity transactions and helping large companies to develop their strategies. Previously he was a journalist at the Daily Telegraph and a commis chef at the Michelin-starred Inn on the Park restaurant in London.

Henry is a regular speaker on how to create a purpose-lead business and how to create a better food system. He is the co-founder and chair of Chefs in Schools and sits on the board of Rockfish. He also advises the CEOs of a handful of high growth leisure businesses.

Elaine joined the British Nutrition Foundation in 2022. Previously, Elaine was Chief Executive of The Drinkaware Trust, and prior to that, Director, External Affairs at The Children’s Society. Elaine is a former trustee of learning disability charity, Mencap, and is a trustee of the drug and alcohol treatment charity, Change Grow Live.

Previously, Elaine’s career included senior marketing and commercial roles with Nokia, Cadbury Schweppes plc, Dr Pepper Snapple Group, The Coca–Cola Company, Beiersdorf AG and Boots plc. She has worked in markets across the globe and lived in Europe and the USA. 

James Bailey joined The John Lewis Partnership in April 2020. He is the Executive Director, Waitrose and a member of the Partnership’s Executive Committee, reporting to Chief Executive Officer, Nish Kankiwala.

Previously James spent 18 years working at Sainsbury’s in Strategic, Insight and Commercial roles culminating in the last 8 as Buying Director for the Grocery division. His key personal achievements include pioneering on colleague well being, switching Sainsbury’s milk supply to a cost of production model and establishing ‘Future Brands’ function to support start up food suppliers.

Since James’s arrival at Waitrose he has redrawn the Agriculture Strategy for the John Lewis Partnership. At its heart is transparency of the supply chain, a net zero UK farming supply base by 2035, reduction in waste on farms and in the wider supply chain, and maintaining the highest standards of animal welfare.

James has also held roles in the NHS and Barclays. He is also an active advisor to, investor in and even founder of start up business and social enterprises – focus on food but also education technology and last mile logistics tech.

 Minette Batters was the first woman to be elected President of the National Farmers’ Union in 113yrs. She’s represented the interests of over 46,000 farming businesses across England and Wales through unprecedented times, navigating the challenges of Brexit, Covid 19 and the war in Ukraine. During this time, she worked with four Prime Ministers – three of them in one year – and six Defra Secretaries of State. She stood down from the post in February 2024. 

Campaigning about the importance of British food and farming and its ability to achieve Net Zero has been a key driver for Minette. In 2020 she led the NFU on one of the most successful campaigns ever seen, bringing together a coalition of chefs, including Jamie Oliver, farmers, environmentalists, consumer groups and animal welfare experts – resulting in over one million people signing the NFU food standards petition. Minette also co-founded ‘Ladies in Beef’ and the Great British Beef Week. She has regularly engaged with different media, including frequent appearances on the ‘Today’ programme, ‘Question Time’, ‘Any Questions’, ‘Desert Island Discs’, Woman’s Hour and other national print and broadcast media. She is currently writing a monthly piece for Country Life magazine. 

Minette is mother to twins and is a tenant farmer, on the Longford Estate near Salisbury, Wiltshire. She began farming in 1998 having sold her house and negotiated the farm business tenancy, starting with fifteen beef cows but fulfilling a lifetime ambition to farm. Today the farm has a Spring and Autumn calving Aberdeen Angus beef herd, arable crops and a few sheep. The business is widely diversified, with a wedding and events venue in a 17th century tithe barn, holiday cottages, and winter grazing for polo ponies, alongside a recently restored walled garden growing native British flowers. Minette trained as a Cordon Bleu chef, and was a former amateur jockey, riding 30 point to point winners, alongside working for champion National Hunt racehorse trainer David Elsworth. 

She’s an ambassador for Farm Africa and a passionate advocate and fundraiser for the Junior Diabetic Research Foundation. She’s run in four marathons, raising over £100,000 for charity. In 2021 Minette was made a Deputy Lieutenant to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, and in July 2024 she was made a Crossbench Peer in the House of Lords. 

Karen joined FDF in December 2021. Prior to this, she was the Chief Executive of the Scotch Whisky Association for four years, representing the Scotch Whisky sector in the UK and export markets worldwide. 

Before joining the SWA, Karen was a diplomat in the Foreign & Commonwealth Office for 16 years, where she held a variety of posts in London and overseas, including as British Ambassador to Morocco and Counsellor to the British Embassy in Washington.  She was also posted to the UK’s Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and to the British Embassy in Baghdad.

In London, Karen served in the Cabinet Office and for the Joint Intelligence Committee, as well as in several roles in the Foreign Office. Before joining Government, Karen was a lawyer at Clifford Chance, working in London and Hong Kong. Karen is an Adviser to the UK Government’s Board of Trade.

Simon was appointed as Chief Executive on 1 June 2020, having joined Sainsbury’s and the Operating Board in July 2017 as Retail & Operations Director, with responsibility for Stores, Central Operations and Logistics. He is a member of the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Committee. Simon has worked in retail for over 35 years, having started at Marks and Spencer and joined Sainsbury’s from Boots where he was Executive Vice President of Walgreens Boots Alliance and President of Boots UK and Ireland. Simon is President of IGD, a Member of the Government’s Retail Sector Council and an Advisory Board Member of Diversity in Retail.

Simon is leading Sainsbury’s plan to become First choice for food. Under Simon’s stewardship, Sainsbury’s has launched its Plan for Better, which is integrated into our strategy and includes a bold commitment to become net zero across our own operations by 2035. Simon has led significant investments into colleague pay, most recently leading the industry in paying the Living Wage across the whole country. Simon is the Operating Board Sponsor for Inclusion and is a dedicated, determined and enthusiastic champion for our customers and colleagues and for inclusion and diversity across our company.

Appointed in 2023 as Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo Europe, Archana oversees the development and acceleration of PepsiCo’s sustainability strategy (known as PepsiCo Positive) in Europe.

In her previous role as Vice President Climate, Water & Sustainable Ops at PepsiCo Europe and Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo, UK & Ireland, Archana led PepsiCo Europe’s drive to be a Net Zero and a Net Water Positive company, trialling and scaling several industry leading technologies within the value chain. Prior to that, she also led PepsiCo’s packaging sustainability agenda and drove the company’s effort towards reducing, recycling and reinventing beverage and snacks packaging.

Archana brings a strong commercial and strategic background as well as geographically diverse experience to this agenda. She has a strong track record of driving business growth, both at GlaxoSmithKline where she led multiple brands and categories across the globe (Europe, Africa and Asia) and at The Bountiful Company where she led marketing and business development for the international region (all ex-US).

Before she moved to the industry, Archana was an Associate Partner at global consulting firm, McKinsey & Co. across India, Brussels and London, serving clients in the consumer and healthcare verticals. She advised clients on topics ranging from corporate strategy to marketing plans to operational effectiveness.

Archana currently co-chairs the Towards Net Zero coalition at The Consumer Goods Forum, a coalition of 20+ companies aiming to make progress towards decarbonising our industry.

Lorna joined Hilton Foods in September 2017. She has extensive experience in the food industry, working in both retail and food manufacturing. Previously, she spent 15 years at Tesco in senior quality roles. Lorna has worked across many food product areas and has worked closely with the Food Standards Agency and the Global Food Safety Initiative. She was previously the Chair of the Campden BRI Scientific & Technical Committee, a co-opted member of the Campden BRI board and held roles on the International Advisory Board for BRC Global Standards and the British Retail Consortium Food Strategy Group

Simon was appointed as Chief Executive on 1 June 2020, having joined Sainsbury’s and the Operating Board in July 2017 as Retail & Operations Director, with responsibility for Stores, Central Operations and Logistics. He is a member of the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Committee. Simon has worked in retail for over 35 years, having started at Marks and Spencer and joined Sainsbury’s from Boots where he was Executive Vice President of Walgreens Boots Alliance and President of Boots UK and Ireland. Simon is President of IGD, a Member of the Government’s Retail Sector Council and an Advisory Board Member of Diversity in Retail.

Simon is leading Sainsbury’s plan to become First choice for food. Under Simon’s stewardship, Sainsbury’s has launched its Plan for Better, which is integrated into our strategy and includes a bold commitment to become net zero across our own operations by 2035. Simon has led significant investments into colleague pay, most recently leading the industry in paying the Living Wage across the whole country. Simon is the Operating Board Sponsor for Inclusion and is a dedicated, determined and enthusiastic champion for our customers and colleagues and for inclusion and diversity across our company.

Appointed in 2023 as Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo Europe, Archana oversees the development and acceleration of PepsiCo’s sustainability strategy (known as PepsiCo Positive) in Europe.

In her previous role as Vice President Climate, Water & Sustainable Ops at PepsiCo Europe and Chief Sustainability Officer for PepsiCo, UK & Ireland, Archana led PepsiCo Europe’s drive to be a Net Zero and a Net Water Positive company, trialling and scaling several industry leading technologies within the value chain. Prior to that, she also led PepsiCo’s packaging sustainability agenda and drove the company’s effort towards reducing, recycling and reinventing beverage and snacks packaging.

Archana brings a strong commercial and strategic background as well as geographically diverse experience to this agenda. She has a strong track record of driving business growth, both at GlaxoSmithKline where she led multiple brands and categories across the globe (Europe, Africa and Asia) and at The Bountiful Company where she led marketing and business development for the international region (all ex-US).

Before she moved to the industry, Archana was an Associate Partner at global consulting firm, McKinsey & Co. across India, Brussels and London, serving clients in the consumer and healthcare verticals. She advised clients on topics ranging from corporate strategy to marketing plans to operational effectiveness.

Archana currently co-chairs the Towards Net Zero coalition at The Consumer Goods Forum, a coalition of 20+ companies aiming to make progress towards decarbonising our industry.

Simon was appointed as Chief Executive on 1 June 2020, having joined Sainsbury’s and the Operating Board in July 2017 as Retail & Operations Director, with responsibility for Stores, Central Operations and Logistics. He is a member of the Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Committee. Simon has worked in retail for over 35 years, having started at Marks and Spencer and joined Sainsbury’s from Boots where he was Executive Vice President of Walgreens Boots Alliance and President of Boots UK and Ireland. Simon is President of IGD, a Member of the Government’s Retail Sector Council and an Advisory Board Member of Diversity in Retail.

Simon is leading Sainsbury’s plan to become First choice for food. Under Simon’s stewardship, Sainsbury’s has launched its Plan for Better, which is integrated into our strategy and includes a bold commitment to become net zero across our own operations by 2035. Simon has led significant investments into colleague pay, most recently leading the industry in paying the Living Wage across the whole country. Simon is the Operating Board Sponsor for Inclusion and is a dedicated, determined and enthusiastic champion for our customers and colleagues and for inclusion and diversity across our company.