The Natural England Board welcomes the new appointments

Mark Tufnell, Cynthia Alers, Alastair Leake and James Scott were appointed to the Natural England board today (24 May).

Their term of office will be for three years, from May 31, 2024 to May 30, 2027.

All new appointments were made in accordance with the Code of Ministerial Governance on Public Appointments published by the Cabinet Office.

Natural England plays a key role in delivering the Government’s environmental priorities. Its aim is to help protect, improve and manage the natural environment for the benefit of present and future generations, thereby contributing to sustainable development.

Biographies

Mark Tufnell

Mark Tufnell is a former president of the Country Land & Business Association. He manages and owns a family farm in the Cotswolds. He was previously a non-executive director of the Animal Health and Welfare Board for England. He is a chartered accountant and chairs several local conservation groups.

Cynthia Alers

Cynthia Alers was most recently Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and a member of the Governance Committee of Orwell Housing Association, as well as a director on the board of Orwell’s property development subsidiary. He is currently Treasurer of the Buckden Recreation Ground Charities Board and the Village Hall Trust. Previously, she was a member of the Port of Dover’s Nominations and Remuneration Committee.

Alastair Leak

Alastair Leake is the current head of the Allerton project, which studies the impact of different farming methods on wildlife and the environment. He was previously a project manager focusing on agricultural projects on cooperative farms and served on the Board of Directors at Rothamsted Research.

James Scott

James Scott is group director of strategy and planning at Urban&Civic plc and a member of the Development Industry Group at Natural England. He was previously a senior director at LendLease Europe and a non-executive director of East Thames Housing Group.