Our governance
The main decision-making and management committees at the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA).
APHA Steering Board
The Steering Board meets 6 times a year. It’s responsible for:
- setting the strategic direction of the agency
- making sure the agency meets its targets
- managing risk
- managing how we work and communicate with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and the Welsh and Scottish governments
The Steering Board is chaired by Elizabeth Buchanan, APHA Lead Non-Executive Director. Members and attendees are:
- Jenny Stewart, APHA Interim Chief Executive
- Lizzie Peers, Non-Executive Director
- Laura Green, Non-Executive Director
- Mike Venables, Non-Executive Director
- Deep Sagar, Non-Executive Director
- Kevin Ingram, APHA Finance Director
- Yvonne Spencer, APHA Director of Science Capability
- Matt Chinn, APHA Director of Science Operations and Research
- Nicola Hirst, APHA Service Delivery Director
- Michelle Reynolds, APHA Strategy Planning and innovation Director
- Andrew Soldan, APHA Veterinary Director
- Irene Cristofaro, APHA Veterinary Director
- Christine Middlemiss, Chief Veterinary Officer (UK)
- Nicola Spence, Defra Chief Plant Health Officer
- Vicki Brookes, Defra Deputy Director for HR
APHA Audit and Risk Committee
The committee meets 4 times a year with more meetings if required. It’s responsible for:
- supporting the executive board in managing risk
- assessing the agency’s performance
- reviewing the agency’s financial management
- reporting the results of the internal and external audits to the steering board
It’s chaired by Lizzie Peers, Non-Executive Director. Other members are:
- Deep Sagar, Non-Executive Director
- Mike Venables, Non-Executive Director
- David Horne, Independent Member
Regular attendees at the meeting are:
- Jenny Stewart, APHA Interim Chief Executive
- Kevin Ingram, Finance Director for APHA
- Russ Baldwin, APHA Head of Finance and Business Partnering
- Natalie Towers, Defra Group Chief Internal Auditor, Government Internal Audit Agency
- Rebecca Andrew, APHA Risk and Assurance Manager
- National Audit Office
APHA Executive Board
The Executive Board meets monthly and is responsible for:
- the day-to-day running of APHA
- implementing improvements
- monitoring delivery against targets
- authorising and managing the agency’s change programme
It is chaired by Jenny Stewart, APHA’s Interim Chief Executive. The other members are:
- Kevin Ingram, Finance Director for APHA
- Yvonne Spencer, APHA Director of Science Capability
- Matt Chinn, APHA Director of Science Operations and Research
- Nicola Hirst, APHA Service Delivery Director
- Michelle Reynolds, APHA Strategy Planning and innovation Director
- Andrew Soldan, APHA Veterinary Director
- Irene Cristofaro, APHA Veterinary Director
There are 4 APHA sub-committees, which support the Executive Board.
APHA sub-committees
The APHA sub-committees mirror the 4 pillars of the APHA organisational strategy: Promote, Protect, People and Place, Innovate.
The sub-committees meet monthly ahead of the Executive Board. This allows for urgent matters to be escalated to the Executive Board if necessary. The sub-committees have delegated authority to make decisions relevant to the strategy pillars and day-to-day operational matters.
The chairs for the sub-committees are:
- Promote – Nicola Hirst, APHA Service Delivery Director
- Protect – Irene Cristofaro, APHA Veterinary Director
- People and Place – Yvonne Spencer, APHA Director of Science Capability
- Innovate – Andrew Soldan, APHA Veterinary Director
APHA Science Advisory Board
The board meets 4 times a year. It supports the APHA Board and Accounting Officer in their responsibilities for the oversight and assurance of APHA scientific work.
It’s chaired by Laura Green, Non-Executive Director. Other members are from a range of external scientists and experts working on veterinary and government science and research.
APHA Joint Health and Safety Committee
The committee meets quarterly. It supports the APHA Executive Board and Defra Group Corporate Services Board.
It oversees the implementation of APHA’s health and safety strategy and the management of site infrastructure, to ensure the agency continually looks to raise standards and improve the health and safety culture.
The committee resolves and decides on matters within its remit and escalates unresolved issues to the executive board.
It’s chaired by Jenny Stewart, APHA’s Interim Chief Executive, and James Greenway, Director of Defra group Property. The APHA corporate health and safety advisor is the deputy chair.
Members include senior managers representing different areas of the agency and Defra Group Property.
APHA board and committee meetings