This is not a great day for UK exporters. Pound at a 14 year high' the headline screams from the front page of the paper on the reception table in Food from Britain's office in London's Victoria. Gordon Summerfield strides purposefully towards the glass entrance doors. He's late and apologises. Returning from a visit to France, he's been stood up by a mini cab at Heathrow. He doesn't like to be late, and I get the impression he is not a man who likes to be kept waiting either. The tube, as it turns out, was much quicker, and you can see him make a mental note for his next foreign trip. There will be plenty of them during his chairmanship of the UK's food export powerhouse. But travel he views as a necessary part of the job, not something he relishes. Recently retired as head of Unigate's European food division, Summerfield, 60, has done more than his fair share of it in the past. "If I didn't have to travel any further east than, say, East Anglia I wouldn't worry because I've done so much of it." That said, he plans to visit each of FFB's 12 overseas offices in the early months of his new job. He is impatient to get on with the interview. But even when I hand him the paper with the scorching news for exporters, there's not the anticipated tirade about the damage done by the exchange rate. "It's a good time to take up the job," he says smiling. No gritted teeth in sight. "It's an irritant and an impediment to our business, but we can't affect it, so for us to worry about it is a waste of time. I don't think that as an organisation we should have that at the top end of our minds." This reaction typifies the Summerfield approach. Anyone in his beloved dairy industry ­ he has been involved since childhood through his family business, which was sold to Northern Foods in 1960 ­ will tell you he is a can-do individual. Sir Ross Buckland's former right hand man has an enviable clarity of thinking. Summerfield hates problems. Loves solutions. And loves people who get on with solving them. Hence he's urging exporters to concentrate on the top end; value added and innovative products where margins are sizeable with the exchange rate on their side and stomachable when it's not. And he is also urging exporters to look beyond the eurozone countries for more pound friendly markets. Summerfield's strident attitude and intolerance of the no' word does not always win friendship, but it does win respect. As a former president of the Dairy Industry Federation during the OFT investigation and then during the MMC inquiry into Milk Marque, he is one of the dairy sector's most influential figures. He is something of a doyen of the food industry all round, having chaired the food policy committee at the Food and Drink Federation and sat on the IGD council. One thing Summerfield does not lack is contacts and he has no qualms about using them. Summerfield may look like a bruiser ­ and there is the odd individual who will accuse him of hard man arrogance ­ but he is conscious of social dynamics and puts energy into building workable networks. "A big issue for David [McNair, the new FFB chief executive] is whether our chemistry will fit," he says. And Summerfield is aware he has detractors. "In the past five or six years we've doubled the size of Unigate's food group. I lead a business with 24,000 employees and some £2.5bn plus of turnover. "You don't get there by being the greatest guy in town," he says. So what do his critics say? "They might say I was aggressive," he admits. "They might say I'm persistent." He thinks for a while. "They might even say I don't listen." Is that valid? "No, I don't think so, I'm actually quite a good listener." While a determined and energetic speaker, Summerfield does stop to listen and gives reasoned and well-articulated replies. He's a thorough sort of person. Although he didn't start the job until January, he was already talking to MAFF ­ FFB's funding agency ­ and manufacturers before Christmas. There's no doubt he's a fighter too. He describes himself as "one of the most robust and singleminded about needing to see a result" in the dairy industry shake up. That is where a lot of people formed their opinions of him. But more than a fighter, the FFB job requires a diplomat, an ambassador both in overseas markets and working with government and manufacturers. With striped shirt, pin stripes and a silk pocket handkerchief, Summerfield has all the garb of your quintessential Englishman ­ even if the farmers' ruddiness doesn't quite fit. Despite the colouring, Summerfield was never a farmer and he describes that unfulfilled dream as his biggest regret. "The job is about understanding what FFB can offer both sides of the customer base. We've got to make sure we listen and make sure we know what they need from us and then try and match that with what the overseas offices tell us they want for the local markets." Those who have worked with him on industry issues praise his negotiating skills and experience. Those qualifications will be put to the test at FFB. He promises to get FFB out there more, to sell more of its services to existing clients, to bring new members into the fold and to open new markets for new products around the world. No small task. And one that Summerfield figures will take more than the two day a week job description. But he is not one for shirking a task. McNair and Summerfield agree there is a buzz about the workload and the world of opportunities that "sucks you in". Summerfield describes FFB as a "well oiled" machine and promises to keep the brand well polished and in public view. "Brands are like kids," he says. "If you leave them alone for too long they go wayward." He wants a seamless organisation whereby customers cannot see the joins between the service they get in London, and, say, FFB's new Polish office. But to start with, he will be getting a feel for the organisation, "seeing how things tick". There is a well established and respected senior team in place beneath Summerfield and McNair. And he will be out on the road asking "what can we do for you?". He wants to know at what level exports are prioritised in companies and get them higher up. One thing he does want is more showcase events for the industry. "In the early days of being involved in any business, the best asset you can have is just to listen." Let's hope he proves his critics wrong. n {{PROFILE }}