Our People - Velcourt

Senior Management

Nick
Shorter

Group Chief Executive

Nick joined Velcourt in 2001 and after graduating from the trainee program went on to manage farms in Eastern Europe and East Anglia. He joined the senior management team in 2009 relocating to Hampshire and was appointed to the Velcourt board as Director in 2014 and Managing Director in 2021.

As Chief Executive, Nick heads up the company’s management team and is responsible for corporate and strategic leadership as well as all areas of operation. In addition he continues to oversee and advise on a number of farming businesses in the south of England.

nshorter@velcourt.co.uk
01747 820230

Jason
Scott

Group Finance Director

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Jason joined Velcourt in 1996 and was appointed to the senior management team as Financial Controller in 2011. He joined the board of Velcourt Group Limited in September 2024.

He heads up the Finance team based at Ross-on-Wye and oversees all aspects of company and client financial reporting & governance, cash flow management, banking, insurance, pensions, risk management and company secretarial duties.

jscott@velcourt.co.uk
01531 660041

James
Townshend

Group Executive Chairman

James was appointed Group Chief Executive in 1991 and Chairman in 2013 having first joined the company back in 1978. His responsibilities include corporate governance, strategic leadership and support , product marketing and shareholder relations. The main enterprises on his family farm in Dorset are 2300 cows in milk, an AD plant and an arable enterprise : Velcourt manage the operation. James is a non-executive Director of Grosvenor Farms Ltd and in the recent past has contributed to the industry as a member of the Agri Tech Leadership Council , a Governor of the RAU and as the Prime Minister’s Trade Ambassador for the UK’s food and farming sector

jtownshend@velcourt.co.uk
01935 483539

Robbie
Taylor

Farms Director
Head of Livestock

Robbie joined Velcourt in 1992 and spent more than a decade managing large dairy businesses in the South West. He was appointed Senior Livestock Manager in 2002 followed by Farms Director in 2004. Robbie specialises in milk and livestock production and dairy farm management systems, oversees seven farming businesses and is responsible for international livestock consultancy, livestock technical and nutrition, produce marketing and central purchasing for livestock.

rtaylor@velcourt.co.uk
01935 482211

David
Cousins

Farms Director
Head of Arable

David joined Velcourt as Farms Director in 2019, with thirty years of broad-based farm management, agribusiness consultancy and supply chain experience in the UK and overseas. He has a BSc (Hons) Degree in Agriculture from Newcastle University, a Diploma in Surveying (Rural Practice), is a Nuffield Scholar and Fellow of the Institute of Agricultural Management. David and his team of managers run a number of businesses across the region, producing both combinable and root crops and he is also responsible for the central purchasing of seeds, fertilisers and pesticides.

dcousins@velcourt.co.uk
01780 460010

Ian
Smith

Farms Director
Midlands

Ian joined Velcourt in 2024 becoming Farms Director for the Midlands, with over 30 years’ experience of Farm Estate business management. He now oversees a diverse range of farming businesses specialising in combinable crop production, energy crops, root crops, livestock and countryside stewardship. .

ismith@velcourt.co.uk
01780 460010

Charlie
Batten

Farms Director South

After graduating from Newcastle University, Charlie joined Velcourt in 2009 as a trainee farm manager. Having completed the management training scheme, he became assistant farm manager on a large root crop business, and then went on to manage an 800 hectare farm in Suffolk. Charlie now directly manages a 2700 hectare contract farming business in Hampshire, consisting of 12 farms, and oversees a number of other Velcourt farms in the South East of England. He also jointly manages central machinery relationships for the company.

cbatten@velcourt.co.uk
01794 341757

Matt
Gregory

Farms Director east

Matt joined Velcourt in 1994 after graduating from Aberystwyth University and joined our Management Training Scheme in 1996. In 1998 he took on his first management role concentrating on potato, onion, sugar beet and combinable crop production. As well as retaining direct management responsibilities, Matt now oversees several farming businesses in Suffolk, providing sustainable, safe and profitable farm management solutions.

mgregory@velcourt.co.uk
01394 450636

Crop Technology

Environmental Lead

Nick Anderson

Technical Director

Nick graduated from Harper Adams with a BSc (Hons) in Agriculture in 2009 and worked as an agronomist in East Anglia for a number of years. In 2015 Nick moved to Russia working with a 200,000 ha farming business to improve all aspects of crop production.

Nick continues to work as a consultant to a number of large farming businesses in Eastern Europe and the CIS region alongside his role as Head of Crop Technology for Velcourt. In his current position, Nick works closely with Velcourt Farm Managers and Agronomists to optimise crop production systems and strategy for the company and its clients.

nanderson@velcourt.co.uk
01780 460010

Nick Down

Senior Farm Manager - Environmental Lead

Nick joined Velcourt in 2002 as a trainee farm manager after graduating from the University of Plymouth with a BSc (Hons) degree in Agriculture. After a farm management role in Wiltshire, Nick now manages the farming enterprise of the Yattendon Estate in Berkshire, offers agronomy advice across north Wiltshire and also acts as Environmental Lead comprising the areas of natural capital, soil health and environmental stewardship.

ndown@velcourt.co.uk
01635 203906

Advisors

Mark Cole

Regional Advisor West

With thirty years experience of practical farming, management and agronomy within arable, top fruit and livestock, Mark has extensive technical knowledge in all areas of crop and livestock production including stewardship, schemes, compliance and legislation. Working with farms from 20-2000 hectares Mark tailors his support to each individual farms needs.

mcole@velcourt.co.uk

Tim Kneale

Dairy Technical LEad

Tim joined Velcourt in 2024 after 6 years in the South West of England working with mainly dairy farmers operating a wide variety of management systems. Previously Tim worked for SAC Consulting in the South West of Scotland as a general consultant working with mainly dairy farmers but also beef and sheep. Working with the Velcourt farm managers to identify and improve on farm technical performance is his main focus.

tkneale@velcourt.co.uk

Chris Spain

Regional Advisor South West

Chris joined Velcourt as an South West Regional Agronomist in 2019. Chris moved to Hampshire in 1996 when he was appointed as Farm Manager on a large mixed enterprise and private Estate.

In 2012, he specialised in morphine poppy production and became U.K. and Portuguese Poppy Operations Manager for Johnson Matthey being responsible for all aspects of 4000 hectares of poppy production. In 2017 he became a regional distribution agronomist, whilst continuing to advise on the U.K. poppy production following an industry restructuring. Chris joined Velcourt with significant practical and agronomy knowledge. He advises on farms across the South West.

cspain@velcourt.co.uk

Non Executive Directors

Anthony Colburn

Anthony Colburn is based in Gloucestershire where he owns and farms land. He is managing director of a farming company in Lincolnshire and a non-executive director or trustee of several estates with extensive property and farming interests. He has served as a Governor of the Royal Agricultural University and joined the Velcourt Board in 2012.

Steve Ellwood

Steve has a wealth of experience within the UK agriculture and agrifood sectors. He was Head of Agriculture at HSBC for ten years and spent four years as Head of Food and Agriculture at Smith & Williamson before taking on a number of non-executive roles for a range of companies in the fresh produce, agricultural supplies and plant breeding industries.

David Teague

David was Financial Director and Company Secretary of Velcourt Group plc from 1984 to 2023. He has extensive experience with agricultural and land-based businesses in the UK and Europe, including creating bespoke funding arrangements and corporate structures, developing commercial relationships and liaising with private and institutional shareholders. David holds a number of non-executive roles in other agricultural corporations and institutions.

Providing leadership, expertise, talent and energy for the benefit of our clients

Senior Management

Nick
Shorter

Group Chief Executive

Jason
Scott

Group Finance Director

James
Townshend

Group Executive Chairman

Robbie
Taylor

Farms Director
Head of Livestock

David
Cousins

Farms Director
Head of Arable

Ian
Smith

Farms Director
Midlands

Charlie
Batten

Farms Director South

Matt
Gregory

Farms Director east

Crop Technology

Environmental Lead

Nick Anderson

Technical Director

Nick Down

Senior Farm Manager - Environmental Lead

Advisors

Mark Cole

Regional Advisor West

Tim Kneale

Dairy Technical LEad

Chris Spain

Regional Advisor South West

Non Executive Directors

Anthony Colburn

Steve Ellwood

David Teague

Responsible Farming For The Future

Providing leadership, expertise, talent and energy for the benefit of our clients

Senior Management

Nick Shorter

Group Chief Executive

Jason Scott

Group Finance Director

James Townshend

Group Executive Chairman

Robbie Taylor

Farms DirectorHead of Livestock

David Cousins

Farms Director Head of Arable

Ian Smith

Farms Director Midlands

Charlie Batten

Farms Director South

Matt Gregory

Farms Director east

Crop Technology

Environmental Lead

Nick Anderson

Technical Director

Nick Down

Senior Farm Manager - Environmental Lead

Advisors

Mark Cole

Regional Advisor West

Tim Kneale

Dairy Technical LEad

Chris Spain

Regional Advisor South West

Non Executive Directors

Anthony Colburn

Steve Ellwood

David Teague

Find Out More

Our Approach

Our Approach

Case Studies

Case Studies

Our History

Our History

Our Future

Our Future

Responsible Farming For The Future

Nick
Shorter

Jason
Scott

James
Townshend

Robbie
Taylor

Farms Director
Head of Livestock

David
Cousins

Farms Director
Head of Arable

Ian
Smith

Farms Director
Midlands

Charlie
Batten

Matt
Gregory