Executive Team

Colin Speller
Managing Director
Colin joined ADAS in 1978, after graduating from Wye College (London University). After six years as an agricultural adviser in Lincolnshire, he joined the Agronomy discipline, working at Leeds and Cambridge. He then participated in a Civil Service development programme, which included a spell in a MAFF (now Defra) Policy Division in London. On return to ADAS he was appointed to the role of Director of Arthur Rickwood Research Centre. He subsequently held the post of ADAS Quality Manager, before becoming Head of ADAS Horticulture.  After privatisation Colin held a number of senior positions within ADAS including heading up the Group’s research business, before joining the Board in 2002 as a Commercial Director responsible for a number of ADAS’ Business Units as well as key Group-wide issues.

Colin was appointed Managing Director for the ADAS Group of Companies in December 2006.  In addition to his overall leadership role he has responsibility at Board level for the Environment and Envar businesses, Health and Safety, Ethics and Quality Management Systems as well as ADAS’s strategic relationships with Defra.  Colin is a Chartered Director and a member of the Institute of Biologists and the Association of Applied Biologists.
 

Jill Bamford
Human Resources Manager
After graduating from London University with a BSc in Agriculture Jill worked for ICI before completing a Master of Philosophy Degree in Applied Biology at Cambridge University. Following this, Jill joined ADAS as a consultant in 1984 and worked in various parts of the Group before joining the central HR and Training team in 1994. Whilst working for ADAS Jill also completed an MBA with the Open University. Jill became HR Manager in 1999 and joined the Executive team in 2002. Jill is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.

Tony Palmer
Finance Director
Tony is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and has been Finance Director of a number of businesses in various industries, particularly in the motor trade. Prior to joining ADAS Tony was Finance Director for QEK Global Solutions, a vehicle leasing subsidiary of ABN AMRO, the Dutch banking group. Tony has extensive experience of business financial and management systems as well as acquisitions and disposals.