Biographies

Here is information on the ten AHDB Board members who work together to ensure that the levy board meets its statutory duties, that levies are spent effectively and that levy payers get value for money.

John Bridge, Independent (Chairman)

Tim Bennett, DairyCo

Chris Bones, Independent

Neil Bragg, HDC

Lorraine Clinton, Independent

John Cross, EBLEX

Clare Dodgson, Independent

Stewart Houston, BPEX

Allan Stevenson, Potato Council

Jonathan Tipples, HGCA

John BridgeJohn Bridge, Independent (Chairman)

John Bridge is an economist with over forty years experience of working in the private, public and academic sectors. He is currently Chairman of Endeavour SCH PLC, Chairman of the Land Restoration Trust and Chairman of Northern Sights Ltd. He sits on the Board of the Tanfield Group plc. He is a consultant to Northumbrian Leisure and a visiting Professor at Newcastle Business School and Durham Business School. He is Chairman of Durham Cathedral Council and a Lay Canon. He is also regional Chairman of the National Trust for the North East and Yorkshire and the Chairman of the Calvert Trust Kielder. He was the founding Chairman of One NorthEast (RDA) and has also worked on various Government advisory groups.

Tim Bennett

Tim Bennett, DairyCo

Tim Bennett farms near Carmarthen in South West Wales, where he had a Pedigree Holstein dairy herd for 27 years and now has an Aberdeen Angus breeding and store cattle unit. Tim is Chair of DairyCo, a board member at the Food Standards Agency (FSA) and also sits on the board and Audit committee of the Meat Hygiene Service. He sits on the Council and remuneration committee of Food from Britain, the Agricultural Land Tribunal in Wales and is a trustee for the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG). He is a Fellow of the IGD and an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies. He is a former President of the NFU and a past Governor at the Institute of Grassland and Environmental research.

Chris BonesChris Bones, Independent

Currently Principal of Henley Management College, the UK's oldest graduate business school, Chris had a distinguished career in the food and drinks industry, holding senior Director posts with United Distillers, Diageo and Cadbury Schweppes.

Neil Bragg LoresNeil Bragg, HDC

Neil started work for the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) ending with the Field Drainage Experimental Unit. He then transferred to ADAS Soil Science where he became part of the national Horticultural specialist group. In 1991 he joined Bulrush Peat Co Ltd becoming a Director of Bulrush Horticulture Ltd in 1998. He has Chaired the Bedding and Pot Plant Association Technical Committee and also the overall Association and its Management Committee, a branch unit of the NFU. Currently he is the Chairman of the Board of Ornamental Plant Producers (Certification) Ltd, and a Director of Stockbridge Research Foundation.

Lorraine ClintonLorraine Clinton, Independent

Lorraine held a number of senior global positions within the Pilkington Group before deciding on a portfolio career. She is a non-executive board member of ENTRUST (the regulator of the Landfill Communities Fund), a council member for Cranfield University, a panel member LEGI (govt. office NW), an executive committee member for Women of the Year, and Chair of the MLC Pension Scheme.

John CrossJohn Cross, EBLEX

John runs a mixed arable and livestock family farm business in North-West Norfolk producing cereals, oilseeds, sugar beet, cattle and sheep. He has also worked in the red meat industry for more than 20 years. He is Chair of EBLEX and Chair of the Agriculture and Horticulture Research Forum (AHRF).

Clare DodgsonClare Dodgson, Independent

Clare is a former Chief Operating Officer of the Employment Services Agency and Job Centre Plus and more recently was Chief Executive of the Legal Services Commission. She is a Health Care Commissioner and an independent executive coach/mentor. Clare is also a non-executive director of the Revenue and Customs Prosecution Office for HMRC, and chairs the AHDB Audit Committee and Relocation Sub-group.

Stewart Houston

Stewart Houston, BPEX

Stewart is a director in a family business focused on pig production. He is Chair of the National Pig Association, Chair of BPEX and a member of the England Implementation Group. He is a David Black Award winner and an Associate of the Royal Agricultural Societies. Stewart was awarded a CBE in the 2007 Queen's Birthday Honours for services to agriculture.

 

Allan StevensonAllan Stevenson , Potato Council

Allan Stevenson was born into a farming family. He has a Business degree from Edinburgh University and is a qualified Chartered Accountant and his career has involved a number of positions as Marketing Director, Commercial Director, Managing Director and Finance Director for various commercial organisations.

Allan is a Director of his own arable farming company, Luffness Mains, in East Lothian, he is a Governing Board member of the Scottish Crop Research Institute (chairing the Audit Committee), and a Non-Executive Director at the Royal Scottish Agricultural Benevolent Institution and Chairman of the E C Harris Group Pension Scheme.

Jonathan TipplesJonathan Tipples, HGCA

Jonathan farms 600 acres of cereals and oilseeds, with about 150 acres of permanent pasture in environmental stewardship. He is Chair of HGCA, the Kent Council delegate of the National Farmers' Union (NFU) and Chairman of the NFU Audit Committee.