MBA Agri-Food charity awards record breaking 33,000 scholarship

The MBA Agri-Farm Scholarship Trust is delighted to announce that it has awarded Leicestershire farmer Paul Eggleston a record 33,000 upfront scholarship.  Ranked the 3rd best MBA in the World by the Wall Street Journal, Paul will commence the full-time one year MBA at Cranfield School of Management in September.

Farming near Melton Mowbray, Paul runs a 490 acre family dairy farm in partnership with his wife, mother and two young children. With past experience including Chairman of Vale Farmers Buying Cooperative and a seat on the Long Clawson Board as a Farmer Director, Paul makes the ideal candidate to get the most out of this unique opportunity.

The pioneering scheme which was established 5 years ago by industry peer John Beckett aims to offer farmers and agricultural professionals the opportunity to learn valuable business skills within a world class educational environment.  To date the scholarship has produced three graduates who have gone on to make their mark within the agricultural industry and there is no doubt that Paul will follow in their footsteps.

Speaking about the scholarship, Paul Eggleston said: I am delighted to be given this opportunity to improve my business management skills and am very grateful that Mr Beckett and the Agri-Farm Trust have provided their backing. I feel strongly that with the right skills, farmers can be an asset to businesses beyond the farm gate.

San Rickard, Director of the full-time MBA programme at Cranfield School of Management said:  I am delighted that Paul Eggleston has been awarded the MBA Agri-Farm Scholarship this year and I have no doubt that both he and his farm business will benefit greatly from the Programme.   I also want to take this opportunity to thank the founder of the Agri-Farm Scholarship, John Beckett, whose commitment to improving the farming industrys management skills I wholeheartedly share and admire.

Further applications continue to be sought so if you are interested or would like to find out more information about the scholarship scheme then please visit www.cranfieldmba.info or call 01234 754431.

• The charity MBA Agri-Farm Scholarship was set up 5 years ago in John Becketts name with help from Genus plc.  The Cranfield MBA represents one of the best courses available for UK farmers and those working within the agricultural industry.
• John Beckett is the founder of Belton Cheese and his son Justin now runs the business based in Whitchurch, Shropshire.  He was named the Farm Business and Food Personality of the Year in December 2009 and is the current President of Cheshire CLA.
• In order to meet varying individual needs, the MBA Agri-Farm Scholarship can be completed at Cranfield School of Management on a full time one-year basis or part time spread over two years.
• To date three graduates have completed the MBA as follows:
  • Richard Milligan-Manby farms arable and beef as Manby Farms in Lincoln with his brother James.  He is Chairman of Woldgrain Storage and was a director of Centaur Grain until April 2008.  Currently, Richard is Chairman of CWG ltd.
  • Mark Hall is a farmers son and partner in a family arable farming business near Bedford. Since completing the MBA, Mark has worked as a business analyst for Syngenta, a job he says he would never have secured without the MBA.
  • Dan Powell, 43 from the Cotswolds completed his MBA last year on a part-time basis. He is now Director a large grain co-op and has also developed a retail business in the form of Seven Springs Farm Shop.
• Case studies for all three graduates are available upon request detailing why they did the course and what completing the MBA has meant to them.
• MBA Agri-Farm Scholarship is a member of the Agri-Food Charities Partnership and is sponsored and endorsed by Genus plc. and Dairy Crest plc.
• Further potential applicants can also contact the charity patron John Beckett direct by emailing: johnbeckett@beltoncheese.co.uk