New board appointments made as James Standen named Cereals & Oilseeds Sector Council Chair

Ministers have appointed two independent members to the AHDB Board with one of the appointees, James Standen, also named as the new Chair of the Cereals & Oilseeds Sector Council. 

Mr Standen (pictured) and Elena Lokteva will start three-year terms on 1 May 2026.

These appointments have all been made in accordance with the Governance Code on Public Appointments, as published by the Cabinet Office. All appointments are made on merit and political activity plays no part in the selection process. 

AHDB Chair Emily Norton said:

"I am delighted to welcome James and Elena to the AHDB Board.

"These appointments add vital experience at a time of significant change for British agriculture. Their combined knowledge will support AHDB in helping to drive productivity, profitability, innovation and resilience within our industry."

Elena Lokteva has over 30 years of commercial and financial experience across capital intensive and regulated sectors. She has held senior international financial leadership roles, including serving as Chief Financial Officer in automotive retail, cross-border joint ventures and investment management.

James Standen is an experienced agricultural manager. He has over two decades of leadership experience across farm, estate and agribusiness operations, where he combined strong strategic and financial management capability with practical and operational expertise.