Chief Executive
Neil Hornby
Biography
Neil was appointed Chief Executive of Natural England from October 2026. Previously he was Chief Executive of the Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), a role he held since February 2021. He also undertook a temporary role as Interim Chief Executive of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA) during 2025 before returning to Cefas.
Prior to his role at Cefas, he held a number of senior positions within central government, most recently as Director of Marine and Fisheries at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra). His earlier roles included leading areas such as flood policy and nuclear energy.
Chief Executive
The Chief Executive, Natural England is responsible for the day to day management of the organisation.
Previous roles in government
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Interim Chief Executive, RPA
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Chief Executive, Cefas