Born in 1940 in Plymouth, Devon, Gordon started his business career with the Bata Shoe Company in 1958, specialising in plastics technology and received a degree in Polymer Technology. In 1963 he was sent to Brazil, Mexico, Iraq and Sierra Leone on projects. During this period he qualified as an Associate of the Cost and Management Accountants in the U.K.

In 1966 Gordon moved permanently to Brazil and moved over to finance. He has held various senior financial management positions including the positions of Chief Financial Officer for the Anglo American Group in Brazil, and for the Coca Cola Company for South Latin America from 1978 to 1986.

He then moved into banking and in 1989 he started his association with Rabobank International. It was there that he initiated his contact with the poultry industry through a debt/equity conversion investment in the fourth largest Brazilian poultry company Frangosul, recently sold to the French company Doux. Gordon was the Rabobank representative in that company for 9 years. In 1990 together with the owners of Frangosul, Rabobank set up a GP company that was a Ross Breeders franchise and Gordon initiated his association with Ross/Aviagen that continues until today.

In September 2004 he retired from Rabobank International and is concentrating on advisory assignments along the whole chain of the poultry industry, including genetics, feed, animal health, hatchery and slaughterhouse equipment companies as well as meat processors.

After a few very profitable months for the Brazilian poultry industry during which they were able to pass on price increases allied to reasonable feed costs. This "lull" is now being shattered from an unforeseen direction.

In the past 4 to 5 months the industry has been globally grappling with the short and long term consequences of the USA ethanol programme. On one side the livestock industry was predicting disaster while the corn growers were reassuring all that there would be no problems as increased supply would resolve the issue.