A varied career for Mary, from a Land Agent and Chartered Surveyor to her new role as Dairy Farmer and Business Director.
Although Mary is now the third generation family tenant on the Ankers’ dairy farm, being a farmer and business director wasn’t top of her mind when she left Queen’s in 2005.
From here she went on to a BA in Geography from Sheffield and an MSc in Land Management from Harper Adams universities. These qualifications, along with work experience in Land Agency and Rural Surveying, soon led to a graduate position as a Land Agent with Strutt & Parker and then the professional qualification of Chartered Surveyor.
But dairy farming must be in Mary’s heart as well as her head, for she took the career-changing decision to study a foundation degree in Dairy Herd Management at Reaseheath College, and in 2016, at 29 years old, became an equal business partner with her father.
As well as the ‘obvious quality of academic education’ that Queen’s gave her, Mary cites the confidence, opportunities, and friendships gained here as key factors in her success. Farming is without question a male-dominated environment but Mary is assured in her ability to learn, sometimes challenge others, and succeed!