Championing Fresh Perspectives in Fresh Produce: A Conversation with Jacqui Green
Welcome back to TheMorePeople Podcast - your gateway to insights, strategies, and career stories shaping the future of recruitment and the agri-food supply chain. In our latest episode, host and Managing Director Richard Hanwell sits down with Jacqui Green, a respected leader in the fresh produce industry with over three decades of experience.
From law student to industry leader, Jacqui's career journey is anything but conventional and that’s what makes her story so inspiring.
From Law to Logistics: A Career Pivot with Purpose
Jacqui didn’t set out to work in produce. In fact, she studied law and Spanish, aiming to become a hotshot European lawyer. But the reality of contractual law felt creatively stifling. “I realised halfway through the course it just wasn’t for me,” she shared.
Back home near Kent, Jacqui found herself entering the world of fresh produce by chance, landing a trainee commercial assistant role at AFI. It was the early ’90s, an exciting time when retailers were just beginning to expand their fresh offering. Jacqui’s language skills opened doors, quite literally, to farms across Europe, helping build import relationships from the ground up.
Why the Produce Industry Stuck
When asked what’s kept her in the sector for so long, Jacqui’s answer was clear: the people.
“I’ve been lucky to work directly with farmers - their passion, their resilience, their role as custodians of nature. That’s where I’ve always found my energy.”
But it’s not just the people. For Jacqui, purpose matters. She’s always been drawn to the health and well-being benefits of working with fresh food. “I’ve always wanted to believe in what I’m selling and fruit and veg fit that bill.”
Diversity, Inclusion & the Future Workforce
Jacqui and Richard didn’t shy away from a tough topic: the lack of diversity in the sector. Jacqui, one of very few women at a senior level early in her career, believes true inclusion goes beyond gender or race. It’s about cognitive diversity. Welcoming varied life experiences, socioeconomic backgrounds, and neurodiverse perspectives.
And for younger generations entering the workforce, values matter. Sustainability, ethics, and corporate responsibility are top priorities, even more than salary, Jacqui observed. “You need to create work environments where no one has to ask for accommodation - it’s already been built in.”
At the same time, the industry must recognise the value of experience. With five generations now working together, there’s a missed opportunity in how older professionals are sometimes “retired off” instead of being leveraged as mentors, part-time execs, or advisors.
“They’ve made the mistakes. They’ve got the T-shirt. Their knowledge is invaluable; we can’t afford to let that walk out the door.”
Building Better Boards: The Changing Role of Non-Execs
Jacqui now works as a coach, mentor, and non-executive director across various sectors, including a local theatre charity in Tunbridge Wells. Her experiences have shaped a vision for what great governance looks like.
Too often, non-exec roles in commercial business are rigid and long-standing, filled by people “at the top of their game in their day.” But Jacqui believes the best advisory boards evolve with strategy, bringing in diverse skill sets for finite periods aligned to organisational needs.
Whether it’s cross-industry experience, marketing expertise, or digital innovation, boards should actively seek out the right voices for the right time and create room for new ideas to flourish.
Final Thoughts: Making the Industry Future-Ready
Jacqui’s career proves that with curiosity, values, and a people-first mindset, you can forge an exciting and meaningful path in fresh produce. Her call to action is one the whole sector can get behind:
Mentor and coach early
Build values-led cultures
Tap into all generations
Bring in new voices — and actually listen
At MorePeople, we’re proud to champion conversations like these. Because the future of food isn’t just about produce - it’s about people.
