Governance

Andrew founded RB Organic, an organic vegetable growing, processing and marketing business. They work with their own produce and a small group of likeminded growers, supplying every UK retailer directly. Andrew has held national posts in the National Farmers Union and British Growers, and he has worked with Defra on agricultural policy in an advisory role. Recently retired, Andrew retains a passion for all things organic.

Caroline is Chief Sustainability & Growth Officer at Cultivo, a public benefit corporation focused on accelerating investment to regenerate nature at scale. She has over 25 years general management and commercial experience across the climate tech, energy, automotive and professional service sectors. Caroline was raised on a farm in Australia. She has a Science degree, a Master’s in Marketing and completed the University of Cambridge Business Sustainability Management executive programme.

Isabel is Chief Medical Officer for Wales and Medical Director for NHS Wales. Isabel provides clinical leadership and independent professional advice to the Welsh Government on health and public health matters. She works with organisations across Wales to improve health and reduce health inequalities. Previously, Isabel was Chief Scientific Officer at the UK Health Security Agency and Director of the National Infection Service of Public Health England.

Jonathan is a Soil Association Trustee and an independent consultant on forestry, land management and nature conservation. He retired as Head of Environment at Forestry England in 2019. He has worked in historic landscape conservation, ecosystem services accounting, biodiversity conservation, water quality, climate change, deer, boar and sustainable forest management. He is on the Knepp Advisory panel and is Chairman of the Trustees of Bentley Wood, a 700ha forest nature reserve near Salisbury.

Kirsty has worked in central government for the last 25 years with roles in DEFRA, Food Standards Agency, Natural England, Animal Health, as well as health regulation. She has extensive experience of implementing policy, designing and delivering organisational change and running complex operations. She is currently Chief Operating Officer at Homes England. Kirsty has a degree in Agriculture and Land management as well as an MBA.

Neil is a serial entrepreneur and innovator, launching and growing businesses in food tech, AI, software, online retail and marketing and supporting UK small businesses to compete around the world. He is currently Founder and Chairman of Kelpi, a UK technology start‑up enabling some of the world’s largest food and drink companies to replace plastic packaging with a sustainable, biodegradable alternative made from seaweed.

Phil is Chair of Board of Trustees and a founding Director of Soil Association Exchange. He has been a Trustee since 2020. Phil is CEO of the entertainment marketing agency, Elvis. He has held senior roles at Ernst and Young, Coopers & Lybrand, HSBC and the BBC, where he led projects including the launch of BBC iPlayer, many of their mobile services, and he ran the 2012 digital Olympics. He holds an MBA from London Business School.

Richard farms with his wife on a small mixed livestock farm in West Wiltshire, also managing top‑fruit and nut orchards and a local meat‑box scheme. The farm takes part in biodiversity projects, including wetland restoration and rotational wood pasture. Richard is a biologist and solicitor, and is General Counsel for a FTSE green‑economy manufacturer. He represents the Trustees on the Organic Producers Board and is a non‑executive director of an asbestos compensation fund.

In her executive career, Sabine was the Chief Operating Officer of Condé Nast, overseeing operations of Vogue, GQ, Wired, House & Garden among other titles. Earlier, she was the Chief Operating Officer of Monocle, which she helped establish and develop into multiple brand extensions with global reach. Before moving to the UK, Sabine worked in the recycling industry in Germany, France, Netherlands and Belgium, her native country. She sits on the board of the Belgian publisher Die Keure.

Steven is a Trustee of the Soil Association and a member of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. Steven is a partner at Deloitte where he leads on sustainability for clients principally active in the financial services sector, advising on sustainability strategy, regulation and disclosures. He previously worked in investment banking in a variety of roles, including as Chair of the reputational risk committee. Steven is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Victoria Stevens is a Trustee of the Soil Association. She is a partner at Bramble Partners, a strategic advisory and investment firm which is building a thriving food system that restores the environment and provides nourishing food. Prior to this, she was a partner at Bain & Company. Vicky is a mum to two young boys, and is closely involved with a family farm in New Zealand.

Nick Buckland chairs and serves on several boards across the private, public and voluntary sectors, including Soil Association Certification. In addition to his board experience, he is an expert in strategic planning, audit, governance, review processes, and quality. In recognition of his services to innovation and technology, Nick was appointed OBE in 2009. He was also awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Technology by Plymouth University in 2013.

Brian Mahony is a professional forester and member of the Institute of Chartered Foresters. He believes in multipurpose forestry, balancing timber production with wildlife protection and public access. He worked in a number of national roles before becoming Director of the Forestry Commission’s estate. Since retiring, he has held board roles with Soil Association Certification, the National Forest Company and the Grizedale Society, and campaigns for rural transport and access to the countryside.

Caroline is Chief Sustainability & Growth Officer at Cultivo, a public benefit corporation focused on accelerating investment to regenerate nature at scale. She has over 25 years general management and commercial experience across the climate tech, energy, automotive and professional service sectors. Caroline was raised on a farm in Australia. She has a Science degree, a Master’s in Marketing and completed the University of Cambridge Business Sustainability Management executive programme.

Claire is Head of Legal at the John Lewis Partnership. She began her career in a law firm before moving in‑house, and has worked across government, finance, logistics and retail. Claire has wide experience advising senior leaders on legal risk, regulation and compliance. Her interest in Soil Association Certification grew through involvement with the Leckford Estate, where she became keen to support sustainable and organic farming.

Craig Sams has been involved with Soil Association for many years, as Treasurer, Chairman and now Non‑executive Director of Soil Association Certification. He founded Green & Black’s Organic Chocolate in 1991 with his wife Josephine Fairley, where he now serves as President. Craig holds several director roles in organic businesses and is co‑founder and Executive Chairman of Carbon Gold, a carbon sequestration business. He's an author, public speaker and a writer for international publications.

David is an accountant by profession who spent most of his career with international agricultural businesses. He joined the ABF Group in 1994, moving from business development into senior finance roles across agriculture and sugar divisions. These roles involved acquiring and developing businesses in China, Africa and Europe. He later worked in PwC’s sustainability team and then led AB Sustain, ABF’s sustainable supply chain business. Now retired, he volunteers with the Wildlife Trust.

Dominic brings extensive experience from environmental organisations and worked closely with Soil Association Certification, as a member of its Scrutiny Committee, before becoming CEO in 2022. His career spans senior roles at Severn Trent Water and Forestry England, leading large‑scale land and certification programmes. Having an interest in the environment from a young age, he studied Geography at Cambridge University and went on to study Environmental Technology at Imperial College London.

Helen is Chief Executive of Soil Association, and farms with her daughter under the Helen Browning’s Organic brand. She has worked in food and farming policy, including the Government’s Policy Commission on the Future of Farming, the England Animal Health and Welfare Implementation Group and the Food Ethics Council. She is a trustee of the Food, Farming and Countryside Commission and the National Trust. She has an OBE for services to organic farming.

Shipra Gupta joined Soil Association Certification as a Non‑Executive Director in 2024. She has over 20 years’ experience across sustainable finance, consulting, healthcare, consumer goods and social enterprise. She is Investment Stewardship Lead at Scottish Widows, where she promotes strong environmental, social and governance practices. Shipra is also a trustee of The Conservation Volunteers, and is passionate about organic food, sustainability and time in nature.

Victoria is a Non‑Executive Director of Soil Association Certification and a Fellow of the University of Cambridge’s Institute for Sustainability Leadership. With decades of experience across academia and business, she works with senior leaders on governance, purpose and sustainability. She has helped develop global and national standards, advises international bodies, is a Head Tutor in sustainable marketing, and has published numerous research papers relating to climate change and policy.

Andrew founded RB Organic, an organic vegetable growing, processing and marketing business. They work with their own produce and a small group of likeminded growers, supplying every UK retailer directly. Andrew has held national posts in the National Farmers Union and British Growers, and he has worked with Defra on agricultural policy in an advisory role. Recently retired, Andrew retains a passion for all things organic.

Iain is a Trustee of Soil Association Land Trust and is Managing Partner of Albert Goodman Chartered Accountants. He worked as an agricultural business consultant before qualifying as an accountant. At Albert Goodman, he specialises in strategic tax and business advice to farmers, estate owners, and other rural businesses, this includes AHA tenancy livelihood calculations, partnership disputes and divorce valuations. Iain also acts for many farming trusts, both as accountant, and trustee.

Jane is a Trustee of the Soil Association Land Trust. A graduate of the Royal Agricultural College, Jane worked as a Rural Surveyor in the East Midlands, specialising in private estate management. Previously a prominent member of the Central Association of Agricultural Valuers, she is passionate about responsible land management. Jane has worked with other charities, having set up and developed a charity for the benefit of disabled children and is a Trustee of a Riding for the Disabled Group.

Joanna is Trustee of the Soil Association Land Trust and is a longstanding member of the Soil Association. A strong advocate for organic farming, she was unexpectedly left the Paget Estate in 1985, which she continues to manage. Joanna helped to set up the Land Trust in 2007 and has been a Trustee since then. She is also involved in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) project in Farnham.

Jonathan is a Soil Association Trustee and an independent consultant on forestry, land management and nature conservation. He retired as Head of Environment at Forestry England in 2019. He has worked in historic landscape conservation, ecosystem services accounting, biodiversity conservation, water quality, climate change, deer, boar and sustainable forest management. He is on the Knepp Advisory panel and is Chairman of the Trustees of Bentley Wood, a 700ha forest nature reserve near Salisbury.

Michael is Chairman of the Soil Association Land Trust, and his original career was as a rural chartered surveyor providing strategic oversight for rural estates and advice on business structures, management and governance. He supervised multi‑disciplinary teams delivering projects both for the firm and for clients. He now mixes being a consultant to Rankine Rural Ltd, running Lord Crewe’s Charity, and is trustee to the Northumberland National Park Foundation and Groundwork NE and Cumbria.

Richard is a Trustee of the Soil Association Land Trust, with a background in strategic marketing for a wide range of businesses. He is a leading fractional Chief Marketing Officer, offering strategy, advisory, and coaching services to a number of companies. He primarily works with sustainability, climate tech and green finance businesses. Although he grew‑up on farms, his career has taken him into the world of digital marketing and storytelling, but his roots remain in the land.

Vimal is a Trustee of the Soil Association Land Trust. He is a chartered engineer by training and specialises in delivering low‑carbon and renewable energy infrastructure on a development and city‑wide scale. With over 25 years of experience helping land owners and developers implement complex infrastructure projects, Vimal intends to lend that experience to the Land Trust to help realise the Trust's vision of any land asset held.