Episode 27: David Mark on Poultry’s Changing Culture, Consolidation and Governance (Part 1)

Two-part special: Tom Woolman and Tom Willings are joined by veteran food technologist and consultant David Mark.

In Part 1, David looks back on a career that started in a Northern Ireland dairy co-op in 1979, moved through the marketing board, a stint as a McDonald's franchisee (from cleaning toilets to Hamburger University), liquid egg processing, and senior technical roles with O'Kane Poultry and Moy Park.

He explains what drives survival and growth in a consolidating industry: governance, compliance, and the institutional memory carried from businesses like Padley's (farm discipline and hygiene) and Dove Valley (customer focus).

David also shares how workplace culture has shifted - from smoking in canteens and meetings, and strict hierarchies and dress codes, to more open day-to-day leadership.

The trio discuss why board training matters if farmers are to play a bigger role in modern governance, and the importance of partnership: no integrator without growers, and no chicken without farmers.

They highlight one of the most positive changes in David's time: women moving from support roles into technical and senior leadership, influencing everything from factory management to HR and how people work together. Subscribe today to make sure you never miss an episode!

00:00 Introduction and New Format
01:02 Meet David Mark
02:06 David's Early Career and Reflections
02:39 Transition to Liquid Egg Business
04:18 Roles at O'Keynes and Moy Park
05:07 Industry Transformation
06:25 Company Culture and Governance
08:18 Changes in Workplace Norms
09:10 Maintaining Cultural Identity Post-Acquisition
11:43 Corporate Governance Essentials
13:20 Training Farmers for Leadership
15:27 Women in Poultry Industry
18:35 Evolving Leadership Styles
20:01 What are some of the changes you have seen, and what does the future hold in terms of expansion, new builds, and business models, particularly in agriculture?