Poul Christensen to remain as Chair of Natural England
Poul Christensen CBE will remain as Chair of Natural England following the extension of his appointment by Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman…
Poul Christensen CBE will remain as Chair of Natural England following the extension of his appointment by Environment Secretary, Caroline Spelman.
The appointment has been made in accordance with the Code issued by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process.
Biography
Poul Christensen was appointed Chair of Natural England on 3 December 2009. He was Deputy Chair of Natural England from 2006 and served as Acting Chair following the death of Sir Martin Doughty in March 2009.
He is a Director of a successful family dairy farming business at Kingston Hill Farm, in Oxfordshire. He has a long track record of integrating conservation with the demands of modern farming.
Throughout his career Poul has taken a prominent role leading the farming sector through changing and challenging times. He is the joint founder of the Tenant Farmers’ Association, established in 1981 to provide a voice for tenant farmers. He was previously Chairman of Milk Marque in the late 1990s, steering the dairy sector through a period of significant change, Chair of the Rural Development Service until 2006, overseeing the launch of modern Environmental Stewardship schemes, and a member of the Defra Management Board before taking up the appointment of Chair at Natural England.
He is currently a Director of Agricultural Central Trading Limited, a farmer supply cooperative and is a Board member of the UK’s Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Poul was elected as President Elect of the National Federation Of Young Farmers’ Clubs, in April 2012, and in the same month was advanced as a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies (FRAgS). He received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 1991 for services to agriculture and the commercial development of the Agricultural Development Advisory Service (ADAS).
Notes
Poul Christensen’s appointment will run until 31 December 2013 and he will receive a remuneration of £72,740 for working 3 days a week.
Natural England is the body responsible for enhancing and managing the natural environment.**