Our governance

The main decision-making, executive and managerial bodies at the Rural Payments Agency.

Agency Management Board

The Agency Management Board (AMB) is responsible for setting the strategy and priorities for the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) and making decisions to support the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs’ (Defra) objectives. The board is made up of non-executive directors, a Defra director and RPA members. AMB is supported by the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee (ARAC) that has responsibility for risk assessment, auditing and accounting.

Board members

  • Trevor Spires (AMB chair)
  • Peter Conway (AMB member and ARAC chair)
  • David Cotton (AMB and ARAC member)
  • Sarah Church, Defra Director (AMB member)
  • Paul Caldwell, RPA Chief Executive
  • Emma Appleby, Change & Service Design Director
  • Alison Webster, Strategy and Policy Director
  • Anne Marie Millar, Finance Director

RPA Executive Team

The RPA Executive Team (ET) is made up of the chief executive and 5 executive directors. The purpose of ET is to:

  • have overall authority to run the Agency day-to-day, including budget delegations
  • set the policy and direction for the Agency and take responsibility for the delivery of the Agency’s Strategic Plan and Annual Action Plan in line with Defra’s overall strategy and priorities
  • approve and set a full range of targets for the organisation and consider progress against them
  • make decisions that are not delegated and consider escalations to AMB
  • consider reports and escalations from sub-committees and sub-groups
  • consider people management related issues for the Agency, review budgets and communications, and manage change initiatives.

ET members

ET is led by Paul Caldwell, the RPA’s Chief Executive (and AMB member). Other ET members are:

  • Emma Appleby, Change & Service Design Director
  • Ali Johnson, Interim Operations Director
  • Alison Webster, Strategy and Policy Director
  • Sarah Milum, EU Reporting and Compliance Director
  • Peter Bainbridge, Interim Operational Delivery lead

Standing Invite

  • Internal Communications representative
  • Internal Audit representative
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