Mike Gregory

Background

About Mike Gregory

Dr Mike Gregory has an honours degree in Agricultural Economics, a Ph.D. in EU Farm Incomes and over 25 years experience world-wide as an agricultural and rural development policy specialist and, more recently, also as an Economic Development advisor. Mike was a senior member of the European Network for Rural Development (ENRD), Contact Point team from its inception in 2008 to 2019; holding the positions of Team Leader, Head of the Policy Analysis group, Deputy Team Leader and senior cross-cutting expert. Over this time he acquired a deep understanding of the EU's rural and agricultural policies and the multifaceted nature and evolution of rural development policy networks. From Oct 2019 to Aug 2021 Mike was the Senior Economic Development advisor for the Regional Development Authority of Asir. A mountainous region in the south west of Saudi Arabia with over two million inhabitants, approximately half of which live in rural conditions. As a member of the Authority's Executive Committee he was involved in economic, environmental and social initiatives ranging from SME development, urban and rural planning codes, sustainable tourism and the improvement of transport and ICT infrastructure. Since returning from Arabia, Mike has once more taken up a position with the ENRD Contact Point. Specifically as a Policy Analyst specialising in agricultural competitiveness and markets. Mike has substantial agricultural and rural capacity development experience in several EU Member States, the candidate and pre-candidate countries of the Balkans, the Caucuses, central Asia, Africa, central America and south and south east Asia. He is also an experienced monitoring and evaluation practitioner and has expertise and experience in privatization. In addition to the above, Mike has 5 years experience working for agribusiness multi-nationals in Europe and Africa (Cargill and Nabisco), and 8 years academic and research experience (primarily at Cranfield University, UK). Mike is an experienced and enthusiastic workshop facilitator and rapporteur.