New Non-Executive Directors put farmers at heart of RPA
The appointment of four new Non-Executive Directors will strengthen the Rural Payments Agency (RPA).
Angela Gillibrand and David Cotton have both been appointed to the Agency Management Board and the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. Rad Thomas will sit on the Agency Management Board and Arthur Reeves has been appointed to the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.
RPA Chief Executive Mark Grimshaw said: “The appointments of Angela, David, Rad and Arthur bring a wealth of experience in agriculture and a true industry perspective to the Agency.
“They will represent farmers’ views at the highest level in the RPA and continue our promise to listen to the sector and put customers’ needs at the heart of our business.”
Angela Gillibrand was brought up on a dairy farm and is now a Director of the family business which has a 250 strong dairy herd . She has also had a career based in finance with senior management and director roles and is currently a Non-Executive Director and Vice Chairman of Great Western Hospitals NHS Trust.
David Cotton is a fourth generation farmer running a mixed farm with pedigree dairy cattle and beef from the dairy herd. He is currently a board director of DairyCo and is former chairman of the council of trustees, the remuneration and audit committee and the investment committee for the Royal Association of British Dairy Farmers. He is a director of an arable company and has an involvement with the Association of Royal Agricultural Societies and Royal Bath and West of England Agricultural Society.
Rad Thomas has farmed for 30 years. He has a mixed farm and brings with him extensive knowledge of both arable and livestock issues. He is a board member, vice chairman and member of the finance committee at the Home Grown Cereals Authority and was Chairman of Non Food Crops Centre between 2004 and 2009.
Arthur Reeves, has worked in the dairy sector for 24 years and is a qualified chartered accountant in both the public and private sectors. He is corporate affairs director at Dairy Crest and has also been a Non-Executive Director at DairyCo.
These new appointments will join our two existing Non-Executive Directors. Trevor Spires who is Chairman of the Agency Management Board, and Peter Conway who is Chairman of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee, both of whom were appointed in March 2011.