Businessman Paul Russell has become the new Chair of Yorkshire Agricultural Society, succeeding farm retail boss Rob Copley after five years at the helm.
Paul, who is CEO of Malton-based Russells, will lead the Society and support CEO Allister Nixon to guide how the Society, as a registered charity, supports and promotes agriculture across the North of England.
Ahead of the Great Yorkshire Show (Tuesday 8 – Friday 11 July), which is organised by the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Paul takes over the reins as Chair of the Society from Rob, owner of Farmer Copleys farm shop and café in Pontefract.
Paul has been involved with the Society for more than 20 years. He is a longstanding member of the charity’s Council – its governing body – having initially contributed as a member of the Great Yorkshire Show Trade Stand Committees. Paul has also served on the Society’s Audit and Investment and as Chair of the Renumeration Committee. He has followed in the footsteps of his father, John, by both his serving the Trade Stand Committees and by becoming a Society Trustee.
Paul, a married father of two boys who lives in York and originally hails from Pickering, described his appointment as a “huge honour” and as Chair of Trustees he will now lead the team which oversees the Society and the organisation of the Great Yorkshire Show.
He said: “It’s a huge honour, first and foremost, but also, equally, a big responsibility. I am a passionate supporter of all that the Society does and I’m keen that we keep maintaining a great Show and also talk about all the things we do aside from the Show all-year round to support and promote farming. The diversity of what the Society offers, since I started 20-odd years ago, has developed enormously.”
Paul has a degree in Engineering with Business Studies and his career has included a decade of service at ING Finance where he took up various roles including credit underwriter and operations manager, progressing to director of national accounts.
In 2001, Paul joined Malton-based Russells, becoming the fifth generation of his family to run the business. Russells dates back to 1849 and has been exhibiting at the Great Yorkshire Show for almost as long as the Show has been held.
Russells is a leading farm machinery, professional groundcare equipment and arboriculture equipment supplier with 12 outlets across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. It has expanded during Paul’s tenure as CEO, increasing its number of branches from four to 12 following the purchase of Hallmark Tractors and the addition of the business’ groundcare and arboriculture equipment divisions, which most recently saw the launch of GHS, a new national groundcare hire business. Russells now employs more than 250 staff.
Russells has kindly supplied equipment and staff to support the Society’s educational events which inspire the next generation about farming, food and the countryside, with Paul having volunteered as a steward. He said: “One of my passions is to get more young people into agriculture and I’m excited by what impact the Society can have by engaging with young people across the region.
“My job as Chair is to pull together the wealth of experience and knowledge across various industries that our Council members and Trustees have to ensure the best use all of the resources we have in support of agriculture across Yorkshire and the North of England.”
Rob, who continues as a member of Council and as Food Hall Steward at the Show said: “It has been a great privilege to chair the Society for the last five years. During that time, the Society led the way nationally in holding the Great Yorkshire Show under COVID restrictions. We have also welcomed a new CEO and a new Show Director, putting the Society in a fantastic position to build on its success at the heart of farming, food and the countryside.”
Yorkshire Agricultural Society CEO, Allister Nixon said: “We are excited to be working even more closely with Paul in his new role as Chair of the Society to build on the excellent progress the Society made during Rob’s tenure. Over the last five years, the Society has taken great strides, expanding its charitable support, ensuring the continued success of the Great Yorkshire Show, undergoing a major rebrand to improve synergy across our businesses at the Great Yorkshire Showground and the refurbishment of Fodder.”
The Society has made further investment in the Showground ahead of the Great Yorkshire Show. A modern, permanent upgrade has been made in the Cattle section where a new cattle shed has been constructed by Yorkshire Steel Buildings. This new 32m by 20m building replaces a cattle marquee on Lower Stock Avenue, is fitted with a penning system and integrated drainage and has capacity for more than 90 cattle.
