Ross is responsible for much of the day-to-day operational running of the site including facilities, health & safety, quality control (EMQA), etc, and occasionally helping the science staff communicate their activities to external audiences.
Ross has worked in the horticultural sector his entire career – growing a wide range of fresh produce (salad, fruit, and vegetables) and ornamental crops (nursery stock, pot plants, cut flowers). After studying Commercial Horticulture, Ross dropped his tractor keys and adopted a PC as his favoured work tool when he entered the event management and communications side of the industry.
Before rejoining the East Malling site in 2012, Ross worked in public sector environmental and plant-based research organisations including AHDB Horticulture (then the HDC) and Natural Environment Research Council (NERC).