With a career spanning over 30 years in food and agritech innovation, Ms Malarkey has held senior research and development roles in multinational businesses in the UK, Switzerland, The Netherlands and the USA. These include Chief Innovation Officer at Royal DSM, Head of Global Research and Development at Syngenta and various non-executive director and scientific advisory roles in established global companies and start-ups.
Commenting on Ms Malarkey’s appointment Dr David Buckeridge, chair of the NIAB Board said: “The role of the Board is to support the organisation in its strategic development. Global agriculture is changing as we embrace advances in food productivity whilst reducing its impact to the climate and improving our biodiversity. NIAB has a central role in developing and translating this science into proven and practical applications for farmers and growers. Trish’s ability to bring together commercial business and R&D strategies, alongside her breadth of scientific technical expertise, and her knowledge of the global agribusiness industry, will provide NIAB with unique and valued insight in its future development.”
Trish Malarkey responded: “This is a great time to join NIAB and I am hugely impressed at the strategic changes the organisation has implemented over the past 15+ years to strengthen its capabilities in crop genetic research, applied agronomy and knowledge transfer. I am looking forward to being involved in the next steps in NIAB’s vision to ensure high-yielding, profitable crop production go hand in hand with reducing agriculture’s environmental and climate impact.”
Dr Buckeridge thanked Professor Alison Smith and Dr Nigel Kerby, who are retiring as Board members, for their service and support of NIAB over the past eight years.
NIAB also welcomes Philip Wynn OBE and John Latham to the National Institute of Agricultural Botany Trust. Philip has been Chair of LEAF since 2017 and has a long career in agriculture, managing and advising businesses in nearly every sector of the industry. John is a farmer in Cambridgeshire and former chair of Camgrain.
And finally, former NIAB Board Chair Tony Pexton is standing down from the BCPC Advisory Board. Tony first joined BCPC in 2010 as a BCPC Executive Member and BCPC Trustee. He is replaced by Hazel Doonan, who is Head of Crop Protection and Agronomy at The Agricultural Industries Confederation (AIC).
NIAB Board
NIAB is a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity, set up in 1996 when the Institute was privatised, and is subject to Charity Commission regulations. The Board of Directors are the trustees of the charity but appoint the Chief Executive (CEO) to manage the day-to-day operations. The Board is made up of non-executive directors with a wide range of pertinent experience and skills from the business and science sectors who, in conjunction with the CEO, establish and develop NIAB’s policies and objectives. They are also a valuable resource in contributing and supporting new business ideas and opportunities. Although a not-for-profit organisation, truly independent and unaffiliated to anyone, the Board also has a duty to ensure that NIAB is profitable and meets its obligations to its stakeholders.
Current members of the NIAB Board include: Dr David Buckeridge (chair), Steve Ellwood, Dr Helen Ferrier, Professor Ian Puddephat, Robert Lowson, Jonathan Regan and Guy Smith.