Oliver Harmar
Biography
Oliver has 22 years’ experience of working in the environmental field across the public, private and research sectors in the UK. He is particularly interested in how we collaborate, think differently, and inspire action.
Oliver became Chief Officer, Strategy in February 2025. He is responsible for developing and implementing Natural England’s strategy through partnership working, alongside advising government on policy and legislation relevant to Natural England’s remit.
Most recently, Oliver spent 3 years as Chief Operating Officer for Natural England. In this role, he led around 1800 staff to work in partnership to deliver nature recovery and maximise all the benefits to people and places across the country. Prior to this, Oliver spent 13 years with the Environment Agency where he led a team of over 600 people to improve the health of our rivers and coasts, manage and respond to flood risk, and strengthen climate resilience for people and wildlife.
Following a first degree and PhD in Geography, Oliver started his career in research and then moved to engineering consultant Halcrow where he led the delivery of national and international projects. Oliver is a Chartered Scientist, a Chartered Environmentalist, and is married with 3 young boys.
Chief Officer, Strategy
The Chief Officer, Strategy is responsible for:
- developing and implementing Natural England’s strategy through partnership working
- leading our portfolios to deliver our strategy; including bolstering the resilience of our landscapes and seas, driving sustainable development, better connecting people with nature, and supporting greener farming and fisheries
- providing government advice on policy and legislation
- developing and piloting new delivery mechanisms