Rupert has worked as a strategy consultant in the food sector since joining Gira in 2003, with a high level of specialisation in global meat and livestock markets. Gira is an independent food-focused consultancy, founded in Geneva in 1979, and working globally across the livestock, meat, dairy, food ingredients and bakery supply chains.

Rupert spends a considerable amount of time analysing the evolving nature of international meat demand and the supply systems that provide it, as well as their internal organisation. This involves working with key actors along the chain, from feed ingredients and genetics, through slaughtering, international trade, and eventually with consumer brands, drawing insight and inspiration from Asia to Europe and the Americas. This gives him a privileged view of the industry at a global level, how it interconnects, and the challenges it faces.

Rupert’s personal background in UK farming affords him a balanced outlook on the increasingly globalised meat industry, between the commercial drivers that control the processing industry and the complex cultural heritage that farming has evolved from.