Sam Rivers promoted to ICL Technical Manager for Controls

ICL has promoted Sam Rivers, previously Technical Area Sales Manager, to the role of Technical Manager for Controls – covering plant protection products and biostimulants.

Well qualified, Sam has a BSc in Horticulture and an MSc in Entomology from Harper Adams and then joined Cambridge University as a senior horticulturalist.   With broad horticultural experience, he joined ICL three years ago.  

“An integral part of ICL’s technical team, Sam has played a key role helping to expand our biological plant protection and biostimulants portfolio and overseeing robust trials of new products,” says ICL sales manager, Adrian Thirtle-Watts. “He has worked alongside Syngenta and our other industry partners to bring new products to the market and support registration and trials of new and existing biostimulant, beneficial nematode and biofungicide products.   

“Sam has also played a pivotal role developing our ground-breaking Plant Health Planner - helping growers plan ahead and optimise plant health on nurseries year-round. A digital web-based tool, it simplifies and optimises plant health programmes – while simultaneously helping growers reduce reliance on chemical crop protection products, thus complying with the Sustainable Use Directive.   

“With a solid knowledge base and broad practical horticultural experience, Sam is extremely well qualified to help growers develop their understanding of the plant protection challenges that lie ahead and the toolbox of products at their disposal.  In short, to implement robust Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Integrated Disease Management (IDM) strategies based on best practice,” says Adrian.

Outside of his sales areas, Sam will be known to many through his contributions to Hort Science Online and the Horticulture Week Podcast.