Alistair Yeomans, Consultant: August 2019 - present

Recent work includes:

● Working with the Chair and members of the Plant Health Alliance to develop and launch the Plant Healthy Certification Scheme to improve plant biosecurity in the UK and beyond 
● Collaborating with the Open University to review ecosystem services from urban forests  ● Coordinating the Horticultural Trades Association’s Tree and Hedging Group (30 UK-based tree nurseries) ● Working with local Government, NGOs and businesses to advance Oxfordshire’s forestry strategy

Horticulture Manager, Horticultural Trades Association (HTA): July 2018 – August 2019 
I moved to this role to address the increasing pressure from plant pests. I worked with the HTA to improve biosecurity in amenity horticultural supply chains and managed (BOPP) and developed (Plant Healthy) certification schemes.
 
Research Associate / Researcher, University of Oxford: September 2013 – July 2018 (2-days per week)  
As part of a Life Plus project I worked with the Oxford Long-term Ecology lab to develop Oxford Environmental Tools which included the Local Ecological Footprinting Tool (LEFT). I also ran workshops for students and professionals.

Chief Operating Officer, Sylva Foundation: January 2008 – July 2018 (part-time from Sep 2013)            
As a founding staff member of Sylva, I worked with the CEO and trustees to develop this forestry charity. My responsibilities included: financial planning; project development and management; and reporting organisation performance to the board. Working with colleagues we developed the widely used myForest web-service for the sustainable management of UK forests. I represented Sylva at all levels, especially in establishing partnerships.
 
Alistair Yeomans, Consultant: February 2002 – December 2007
I worked as a horticultural business consultant to assist the development of a nursery and landscaping company in Portugal (Espaço Sudoeste) and Bampton Garden Plants (Rupert Gooddy) in the UK. I also designed and planted gardens in the UK and Portugal and worked as a botanical tour lecturer in Crete (Page & Moy). 
 
Forest Researcher, Earth Trust:  September 2001 – February 2002
The Earth Trust is a charity that promotes sustainable land management practices. I worked within the forestry research team to plant, prune and assess the forestry provenance and silvicultural trials at Paradise Wood.
 
Nursery Manager, Osberton Nursery: July 1999 – September 2000
Osberton Nursery is an ornamental nursery stock business that supplies garden centers throughout the UK and Ireland. I was accountable for all aspects of production, including: the management of up to 30 staff; business development; budgeting; quality control; dispatch and logistics; and the continued improvement of operations.
 
Farm Manager, Vitacress, Portugal: February 1998 – June 1999
Vitacress was an international salad farming company that supplied UK markets. Duties included: management of 15 staff; all aspects of crop husbandry; irrigation construction and maintenance; meeting quality and hygiene standards.
 
Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University, USA: January 1997 – January 1998
This year-long programme in the management of botanical gardens provided training in the curation, propagation and grounds management of a scientific living collection. I worked with the Director of the Living Collections to write the Hemlock Hill management plan for a woolly adelgid infestation of Tsuga canadensis. 
 
Research Technician – Crop Health Centre (CHC) – Scottish Agricultural College             June 1995 – September 1995
The CHC provided a plant health diagnostic and advisory service for the UK horticulture industry. I assisted the CHC manager with the centre’s research activities. At the CHC I carried out research for my undergraduate thesis: Evaluation of fungicides to control Botrytis cinerea on ornamental nursery stock and assessing for phytotoxicity.