The Countdown is on until the AEA Virtual Conference 2021

The AEA Conference will take place virtually on Tuesday 13th April 2021 from 9:30 – 13:00.

We have exciting line- up of speakers which includes:

Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London

Anand is Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King’s College London.

Members may recall Professor Menon joined us two years ago to give his thoughts on Brexit and the prospects for a global economy. We are certain an update on today’s situation, post COVID-19, post Trump, and the start of our new relationship with the EU will provide valid insight into any changes ahead. Professor Menon directs the Economic and Social Research Council Initiative The UK in a Changing Europe (www.ukandeu.ac.uk). He has held positions at Sciences Po, Columbia University and NYU. He has written on many aspects of contemporary Europe and is co-editor of the Oxford Handbook of the European Union (OUP, 2012). He is co-author of Brexit and British Politics (Polity, 2017) and author of Europe: The State of the Union (Atlantic Books 2008).  He has written for the Financial Times, Prospect, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Times and Le Monde. He is a frequent commentator on national and international broadcast media and has made several radio documentaries on contemporary politics. He is a member of the Council of the European Council on Foreign Relations and an associate fellow of Chatham House.

Stephen Howarth, AEA Agricultural Economist

Stephen Howarth is the AEA’s Agricultural Economist. Stephen provides a wide range of statistics and economic analysis about the machinery and agricultural markets to AEA members, along with analysis of the implications of political developments such as Brexit. Prior to joining the AEA, he worked in AHDB’s Market Intelligence division, analysing agricultural markets, with a particular focus on livestock sectors.

Les Malin, Manging Director at Etesia UK & 2020 – 2021 AEA President

Les Malin became President of the AEA amidst a global pandemic, when he was elected by the virtual platform, zoom.  Contrary to our thoughts at the time, he will hand over the baton to a new President at the AEA AGM, also by virtual platform.

Les’ early background is rooted in Agriculture, where in his early years he worked on a mixed farm and would also use the farm equipment for contracting jobs.  He then started his own contracting business in his 20’s.  In the mid 1990’s he made his move to Outdoor Power Equipment as area manager for Polaris, after which he worked at Amazone Grounds Care before finally moving to Etesia as an ASM, then General Manager and finally Managing Director. Les has many years of experience both within Agriculture and the Outdoor Power Equipment sector and says of the future “This virus has shown us more than ever that technology has to be the way forward for all of us, we have to embrace the future.” He goes on to say “We must show our policy-makers and our customers that we can offer expertise, environmentally efficient solutions and technologically driven advances for both the Agricultural and the Outdoor Power sectors. We, as an industry, must embrace these modern methods to safeguard our futures and entice the younger generation into a sector of employment that few people leave if they actively engage in its culture and history.”

Shaun Groom, General Manager at Merlo UK & 2021 – 2022 AEA President

Shaun has spent his career in the agricultural equipment industry, having worked in New Zealand in sales with the tractor and equipment distributor Power Farming Wholesale, returning to the UK in 2005 to join Rabe UK as a Product Specialist before moving to Landmec Pottinger, the Austrian agricultural machinery manufacturer, the following year.

Having started in 2006 as a product specialist with Landmec Pottinger, Pottinger’s UK distributor/importer at the time, he became brand manager two years later, and was instrumental in setting up the manufacturer’s UK subsidiary, Pottinger UK, in 2012. He was General Manager until the end of last year when he announced his departure to take up the opportunity to join Merlo UK as General Manager. Shaun has been the Chairperson of the Farm Equipment Council for the last two years, joining the Council in 2015.
We look forward to hearing what Shaun and Les have to say regarding the future developments of the industry, the challenges and changes to come

David Worsley, Professor of Engineering at  Swansea University

Professor Dave Worsley specialises in advanced materials, solar energy, and research into the development of innovative technologies and materials to feed into the global supply chain. To date he has led the development of more than £120M investment in collaborative training, research and innovation.

David has a vision to change the world! In a time of climate crisis – with the UK construction industry accounting for 60% of all materials used and buildings up to 40% of our carbon emissions – David’s focus is on the de-carbonisation of the materials supply chain and  renewable energy for buildings and transport.

David is a professor of engineering at Swansea University.

Leo Johnson, Head of Disruption at PwC’s and presenter on Radio 4’s FutureProofing series

Leo Johnson is Head of PwC’s Disruption practice and co-presents Radio 4’s flagship series Future Proofing, exploring the big ideas and innovations reshaping business and society.

He explores the cutting edge in exponential technology, probing the so-called game changers both short term and long, from autonomous transport and payment by data, to radical life extension, quantum computing, and the RFID (radio-frequency identification) chipped workforce. What – in the tsunami of exponential technology – is real and what is hype? More importantly, what is the impact going to be on business?

You can register for the event here