Leadership

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.

Amanda brings a wealth of senior financial leadership experience from purpose‑led organisations. She was CFO at Forestry England and was previously Finance Director at Omsco / Organic Herd. Throughout her career, she has supported organisations through change, growth, and transformation, with expertise spanning financial strategy, governance, performance improvement, and creating clear, practical frameworks for decision‑making.

Brendan leads the Soil Association’s Policy Unit. He has broad experience in environmental policy across government, NGOs and business. He previously advised the Defra Secretary of State and worked at the RSPB and the British Ecological Society. He later helped businesses on nature‑related reporting at Biodiversify. Brendan is also a trustee of a Malawian education charity and serves on the Cotswold National Landscape Conservation Board.

Gemma is the Development Director at the Soil Association. She is responsible for fundraised income generation for the charity. Gemma first joined as as Head of Philanthropy in 2022 and has previously held fundraising and leadership roles at Hope and Homes for Children and Ripple Effect.

Joseph is CEO of Soil Association Exchange, helping businesses turn climate and nature commitments into practical change on farms. He leads programmes across more than 30 supply‑chain partners, working with over 2,000 farmers in the UK and beyond. Before founding Exchange, Joseph led EIT Food's work with agri‑food start‑ups in Southern Europe, and supported entrepreneurs tackling food insecurity at the KellyDeli Foundation.

Julie Wilkins is Director of Marketing and Communications at Soil Association.

Ruth is Programmes Director at the Soil Association, leading work across the charity’s mission to transform food and farming for climate, nature and health. She previously led the Healthy and Sustainable Diets programmes, including Food for Life and Sustainable Food Places. Before this, she spent 15 years in marketing and communications. Ruth is passionate about a fair, healthy and sustainable food system.

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.

Alex lives in Chesham, Buckinghamshire with her husband and sons, and is a passionate gardener. She has extensive experience across commercial, marketing and public service sectors. Most recently, she was Head of Marketing at NHS Blood and Transplant, leading public engagement for blood and organ donation during the pandemic. Previously, she held senior marketing roles at Marks & Spencer and Ferrero. She is also a trustee of UFI VocTech Trust and Chair of its Ventures Committee.

Emma Yeats is the Operations Director at Soil Association Certification. She leads Certification, Audit and Organic Technical teams, delivering over 8,500 audits a year. As part of the Certification Executive Leadership Team, she drives strategic direction and ensures robust, high‑quality standards. She has a BSc in Food and Agriculture from Seale Hayne College and brings extensive experience in accreditation, auditing and practical insight from running an organic poultry farm.

Hannah leads on the implementation of the business strategy within Certification to develop services to support licensees. She manages the Organic Technical team, which provides standards, technical and regulatory support, as well as admin teams for organic and forestry clients. Hannah joined Soil Association Certification in 2006 after working in food retail. She studied Pathology and Microbiology at Bristol University and Food and Agricultural Business at the Royal Agricultural College.