Our Team
Seasoned professionals with a commitment to excellence
Gordon is a chartered mechanical engineer and project management specialist with 20 years’ international experience delivering large-scale food and beverage manufacturing projects across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and North America. His expertise spans concept design, capital project execution, multi-disciplinary engineering management, and end-to-end delivery of complex industrial facilities. He has led the development, design, and construction of factories with capital values up to $500 million, directed multi-national engineering teams, and managed major investments across beverages, snacks, ready meals, oils, cereals, feed milling, and advanced warehousing systems.
Gordon holds a Masters in Mechanical Engineering from Loughborough University.
Gordon Robinson -Projects Director
Jamie has 22 years of international agribusiness experience delivering large-scale agricultural projects, including 18 years specifically in Africa. He has led major poultry, farming, and irrigation initiatives in more than 20 countries and has held senior roles with AGCO, Panafrican Equipment, and Soil to Silo. Notable work includes expanding Valentine Chickens in Nigeria and supporting Amo-Bing Poultry through US Soy’s Centres of Excellence.
Jamie attended the University of Reading where he obtained a BASc (hons) in Agriculture, Agriculture Operations and Related Sciences.
Jamie Rixton - Head of Agri Systems
Hadi leads the development of processing facilities for Capiconic, bringing over 30 years of experience in food and dairy processing across Europe and the Middle East. He has delivered multiple projects exceeding $100 million in dairy, infant formula, coffee, and sugar processing sectors, combining deep chemical engineering expertise with senior leadership in production and project delivery. His experience covers the full project lifecycle - from concept and design through procurement, commissioning, and operations. He has held senior roles with Danone, Multicafe, and Norddeutsche Kaffeewerke GmbH.
Hadi holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Ferdowsi University of Mashhad as well as a MSc from Sharif University of Technology.
Hadi Zohreie - Technical Director
Will Betts - Head of Livestock Systems
Will is a livestock and dairy specialist with over 15 years’ international experience managing and developing large-scale dairy operations across APAC and EMEA regions. His expertise spans livestock systems design, farm management, and integrated dairy development. He has overseen the design and operation of farms with herds exceeding 30,000 cows, managed multinational teams, and contributed to multi-billion-dollar dairy investments.
Will holds a MSc in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Security from Royal Agriculture University, as well as a BSc (hons) in Agriculture from Harper Adams University College.
James is a finance and strategy professional with deep expertise in agribusiness, agri-tech, and low-carbon infrastructure across Africa and Central Asia. He combines hands-on operational experience with strategic advisory, having authored successful investment proposals for projects valued between $250 million and $500 million, developed detailed techno-economic and financial models, structured blended financing for major infrastructure projects, secured funding from development finance institutions (DFIs), negotiated multi-year offtake agreements, and led cross- functional teams to scale high-impact ventures in complex environments.
James holds a BSc (MSc-equivalent) in Industrial Engineering from the University of the Witwatersrand.
James Shelton - Operations Manager
Mahder has spent over 15 years of experience working in the Ethiopian FMCG market, focusing on driving profitability and revenue growth through customer and consumer insights, as well as leading high-performing teams to deliver tangible results. Prior to Capiconic, Mahder held management roles at PepsiCo, Senselet Food Processing and other prominent players in the region.
Mahder holds an MBA from St Mary University as well as Bachelor’s degree in Philosphy from Addis Ababa University.
Mahder Girma - Commercial Lead
Yi Jiang - Analyst
Yi is an agribusiness and processing analyst with expertise in procurement, market analysis, and farm systems development. She has supported infant nutrition, dairy, freeze drying and other FMCG projects around the world Some of her more recent work includes developing herd growth and scaling models for up to 23,000 livestock, conducting market entry analysis for novel investments in emerging markets, and guiding site selection using long-term climate and agronomic data.
Yi holds a BSc (hons) in Business Administration and Management from the London School of Economics (LSE).
Ariana is a logistics and management professional with a detail-oriented approach and growing experience in sustainability and agribusiness-focused research. She has contributed to proposal development and project planning across a range of emerging-market contexts. At Capiconic, Ariana has provided analytical inputs to guide decision-making for dairy and other agriculture- oriented ventures.
Ariana holds a BSc (hons) in Business Administration and Management from the London School of Economics (LSE).
Ariana Mashad - Analyst
Michael Longley - Poultry Production Systems Specialist
Michael is a longstanding poultry supply chain consultant with over 30 years’ international experience across Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. His expertise spans poultry project design, financial feasibility, and supply chain training. He has led consultancy teams of over 25 specialists, delivering projects in feed milling, processing, and integrated broiler operations worldwide. He is currently a Director, Managing Consultant and Partner at Food Chain Enterprises.
Michael holds a BSc (hons) in Environmental Monitoring from the University of Derby.
John Rasic - Soils Specialist
John is a soil and land management expert with over 45 years’ experience delivering surveys, mapping, and land rehabilitation strategies across 3 million hectares in 50+ countries. He has supported large-scale agricultural, biofuel, and carbon credit projects by translating complex soil data into practical strategies for land acquisition, irrigation planning, and sustainable management.
Michael holds a Master of Engineering Degree from the University of Southern Queensland for land degradation rehabilitation amelioration, as well as a degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Novi Sad.
John Atkinson - Irrigation Specialist
John is an irrigation systems specialist with over 40 years of experience designing and developing large-scale irrigated agriculture projects across APAC and MENA regions. He has worked on behalf of leading global irrigation manufacturers - Rain Bird, Netafim, Lindsay, and Valley Irrigation - delivering turnkey projects and technical solutions that enhance farm productivity and water efficiency. His expertise spans project design, equipment integration, and sustainable irrigation management across diverse agricultural environments.
John majored in Farm Business Management whilst at Murrumbidgee College of Agriculture, specialising in irrigation and soils.
Rupert Sheppard - Dairy Veterinary Specialist
Rupert is a dairy veterinarian with extensive international experience in intensive dairy production, herd health, and veterinary leadership across the Middle East and New Zealand. He has led large multi-national veterinary teams and managed animal-health programmes for herds exceeding 100,000 cows. He is skilled in developing vaccination and treatment protocols, designing and delivering tailored on farm employee training and utilising whole farm data.
Rupert holds a BCSc in Veterinary Science from the University of Bristol, as well as Advanced Veterinary Practice Certification (AVP) from the University of Liverpool.
Emma Longley - Technical Specialist in Poultry Systems
Emma is a poultry specialist with over 20 years’ international experience in technical management, training, and knowledge transfer. She is heavily involved in poultry training academies, feasibility studies, and due diligence projects across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, and has authored more than 120 technical publications on poultry production and management.
Emma received a PhD from Edinburgh University (animal feed) as well as BSc (hons) in Applied Animal Science from the University of Glasgow.
Allaster Dallas - Dairy Nutrition & Farming Specialist
Allaster is an experienced farm consultant and ruminant nutrition specialist with three decades of experience across diverse livestock systems. He focuses on animal nutrition, soil health, and sustainable production, integrating these into practical, profitable farm systems. His expertise includes business appraisal, dairy herd performance management, forage and nutrient planning, and the application of on-farm biogas and circular nutrient systems
Rupert holds a BSc (hons) in Agriculture from Seale-Hayne College.
Jim Haddow - Feed Milling Specialist
Jim Haddow is a feed milling and operations specialist with over 40 years’ experience managing high-volume feed mills and integrated poultry supply chains. He has held senior leadership roles across the UK feed industry, overseeing multi-site operations with turnovers exceeding £180M, and leading projects in yield optimisation, plant upgrades, and biosecurity improvements. Jim now provides consultancy and interim management services internationally, supporting feed milling performance, operational restructuring, and project delivery in emerging and developed markets.
Rupert holds an MBA from Edinburgh Napier University.
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