Caroline Troy is NRI’s Business Development Project Manager. She has worked with NRI since October 1990 and in her role she is responsible for the development and delivery of marketing activity across the organisation as well as the management of NRI project events/conferences from concept to completion in support of NRI’s organisational mission and objectives. Caroline is responsible for driving NRI’s teaching marketing strategy and delivering dissemination events for NRI projects and programmes. ​She covers production of marketing materials, social media platforms, event management & logistics, project financial management and client liaison. She has managed events in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Benin, Uganda, Spain, Rwanda, Colombia, and the UK.

Francois has been with the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) since 2021. He began serving as the Laboratories and Technical Services Lead in December 2023. In this role, he oversees the efficient, effective, safe, and compliant operation of all technical facilities and resources within the Institute, uniting and developing NRI’s technical resources across departments and research centres.

Prior to this, Francois held the position of Laboratory Manager at NRI from September 2022 to December 2023, where he managed departmental laboratories, ensured compliance with ISO 9001:2015, supported research and teaching activities, coordinated equipment servicing, sourced and ordered consumables, maintained stock culture collections, and acted as Health and Safety local officer. Before becoming a Laboratory Manager, he worked as an NRI Research Technician from November 2021 to September 2022, providing technical support for NRI’s laboratory, greenhouse, and controlled temperature environment rooms, facilitating laboratory and field teaching activities, supporting research projects, and overseeing data collection and processing for an agrivoltaic materials project.

In addition to his roles at NRI, Francois has extensive experience in hydroponic farming. From November 2018 to June 2021, he was the Research and Development Plant Propagationist at CAN-Agri in Pretoria, South Africa, where he set up operational procedures for a vertical hydroponic farm, oversaw on-farm research, implemented nutritional programmes, established pest management, drafted SOP documentation, trained staff on health and safety, secured certifications (Global G.A.P., HACCP), and liaised with retailers.

Earlier in his career, Francois served as the Assistant Compost Manager at Country Mushrooms PTY Ltd. from July 2015 to October 2018, managing composting processes, supporting mushroom growers, data capturing, and team management. His career in research began as a Research Assistant at the University of Pretoria from January 2012 to June 2015, where he conducted experimental research within the Food Safety Research group, improved experimental accuracy, managed laboratory stock and equipment, conducted field trips, and mentored final-year students.

Throughout his career, Francois has been involved in various research projects and has achieved several certifications, including ISO 22000 advanced HACCP and Food Safety Assurance certification. His memberships and associations include compliance with ISO 9001:2015 and Global G.A.P. standards. Francois’ work is characterised by a strong focus on laboratory management, technical services, health and safety, hydroponic farming, agrivoltaic materials, plant pathology, food safety, experimental research, operational procedures, pest management, and nutritional programmes.