Case study
UK Agri – Tech Centre
Chief Executive Officer - UK Agri-Tech Centre
Opportunity
Eden partnered with the UK Agri-Tech Centre to appoint a Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation through its next stage of development following the successful merger of three specialist centres in 2024. Eden partnered with the UK Agri-Tech Centre to appoint a Chief Executive Officer to lead the organisation through its next stage of development following the successful merger of three specialist centres in 2024. The CEO would also play a critical role in supporting innovative startups through their growth journey— bridging research, industry, and investment to accelerate impact across the agri-tech ecosystem. This was a unique opportunity for a credible, strategic, and people-focused CEO to shape the Centre’s future, strengthen its national and international presence, and drive real-world outcomes for the UK’s agri-tech sector.
We were pleased to have Eden Search as our partner for the CEO recruitment exercise. We worked very closely with Eden throughout the whole process and really benefitted from their knowledge of the sector and excellent networks. They quickly understood the challenges associated with UKATC’s new direction and the need to identify an exceptional leader to steer the organisation through its next phase where the emphasis will be on supporting businesses, increasing adoption of agri-tech and boosting investment. We were thrilled to announce Steve McLean’s appointment as the new CEO. He is well-known and well-regarded across the industry. He has an impressive track record of leading change, creating successful collaborations and being people-focused. Thank you Eden for making this such a smooth and successful recruitment exercise.
Tim Mordon, Non-Executive Director, UK Agri-Tech Centre
Our approach
Through close collaboration with the Chair and Board of the UK Agri-Tech Centre, Eden defined the leadership capabilities required to unite three previously independent organisations into a cohesive, high-performing entity. The search spanned academic and research institutions, commercial organisations within the agricultural supply chain, and innovation-led businesses with a strong focus on technology adoption and impact. Our search focused on candidates who could lead transformational change—balancing strategic vision with cultural sensitivity—to build a more effective, collaborative, and commercially focused organisation while nurturing engagement and shared purpose across diverse teams and stakeholders.
The results
Our search focused on candidates who could lead transformational change—balancing strategic vision with cultural sensitivity—to build a more effective, collaborative, and commercially focused organisation while nurturing engagement and shared purpose across diverse teams and stakeholders. Following a rigorous series of interviews with the Chair, Board members, Innovate UK, and key stakeholders, the UK Agri-Tech Centre appointed a CEO with visionary leadership, deep sector credibility, and the ability to create lasting impact. The appointed leader brings a strong network, a collaborative approach, and the drive to position the Centre as a national and international authority on agri-tech innovation—propelling the organisation into its next phase of development and creating measurable impact across the sector.