What was your first-ever job? I worked in a local farm shop during the weeks before Christmas. It involved preparing turkeys for sale - lots of feathers, blood and guts!
What’s been your worst job interview? The interview for the above job has to have been the worst I was required to take part in a practical ‘how to’ demonstration I was not prepared for.
What was the first music single you bought? Ghostbusters by Ray Parker Jr. The worst part is that I’ve still got it!
How do you describe your job to your mates? The man from the Del Monte adverts. Though I’ve never worked for Del Monte and I don’t always say yes!
What is the most rewarding part of your job? To play a part in developing people’s skills and seeing them succeed and progress within the industry is really rewarding.
What is the least rewarding part? We are an industry at the whim of Mother Nature, which can often make managing expectations tricky.
What is your motto in life? You can’t plough a field by turning it over in your mind.
What’s your nickname? Gene. As in Wilder, due to my hair. Sadly, it’s all gone now!
What’s your favourite movie and why? The Shawshank Redemption. No action, no special effects, just an uplifting film that always makes me feel better.
Do you have any phobias? I’ve never been good with heights. They say you should face your fears, but I’d rather give this one a miss.
If you could pick a celebrity to join your staff who would it be and why? Clint Eastwood - from around the time when he played ‘the Man With No Name’ from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. A no-nonsense, straight-talking character that would get things done.
If you could change one thing in grocery what would it be? Encourage long-term commitments giving industry partners the confidence to invest, which in turn will lead to a more sustainable future for growers, suppliers and the industry as a whole.
What luxury would you have on your desert island?I’m a big cricket fan so it would have to be a wind-up radio. That way I could listen to BBC Test Match Special and not miss any of the action.
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