The Board

Jim was appointed to the Board in 2012 and appointed Chairman in 2019. He is also Chair of the Nomination Committee, and previously Chaired the Remuneration Committee. He served as President of NFU Scotland from 2007 to 2011, having served as Vice President in 2006. Jim was Chairman of Quality Meat Scotland Limited from 2012 to 2019 and is a former Director of Scotland's Rural College. Jim is a mixed beef and arable farmer from Perthshire in Central Scotland and a Fellow of the Royal Agricultural Societies.

Nick was appointed NFU Mutual Group Chief Executive in April 2021 and is responsible for managing the Group business. He was appointed to the Board in 2013 and was previously Sales and Agency Director where he led the growth of the General Insurance and Life businesses. Nick joined NFU Mutual from AXA where he was Managing Director, Intermediary & Partnerships – Personal Lines. His career spans more than 35 years, largely in the fields of Life and Wealth Management. Nick is a former President of the Chartered Insurance Institute and was previously President of the Personal Finance Society.

Ross was appointed to the Board in 2021. A Fellow and former Council member of the Faculty of Actuaries, he has over 30 years’ experience in the insurance industry. After working at Scottish Provident and at reinsurer Gen Re, he became Managing Director of Bright Grey and Scottish Provident in 2009. He is a Non-Executive Director of Longevitas, an actuarial software provider, and has been a member of the Standard Life With-Profits Committee since 2013.

Jon was appointed to the Board in 2018 and is Chair of the Board Investment Committee and of the board of NFU Mutual Unit Managers Limited. He has extensive investment management experience, having held senior positions at Pioneer Investments, AXA Investment Managers and Russell Investments. He is a Non-Executive Director of Openwork Wealth Management, a former Board member of the Pensions Infrastructure Platform and was previously Chairman of the Management Committee of Pantheon Ventures, a global private equity business.

Steve became a Director in 2010 and is responsible for General Insurance Customer Services, which includes Underwriting, Claims and Re-insurance, at our Head Office and our seven regional centers. Steve’s career at NFU Mutual spans three decades and during that time he has held a variety of roles including Sales Manager, Regional Manager and Chief Manager–Life Services.

Ali was appointed to the Board in 2018 and is Chair of the Remuneration Committee. She is a member of NFU National Horticulture and Potatoes Board, a Director of the Oxford Farming Conference, the British Hop Association, Wye Hops Limited and Wye Fruit Limited, Executive Chair of British Apples and Pears and is a Nuffield Scholar. She is a previous Board member of Cargill Growers Association. Before becoming a partner with her husband Richard at their farm, Ali worked in advertising for 16 years where she progressed to Client Services Director.

Brian was appointed to the Board in 2014. He is Senior Independent Director, Chairs the With-Profits Committee and is Chairman of the Trustee of the Group’s Staff Retirement Benefit Scheme. Brian was Group Chief Executive of Scottish Life and an Executive Director of Royal London Group. He is Chairman of Scottish Equitable Policyholders Trust, Aviva’s With-Profits Committee, the Church of Scotland Investors Trust and is a Trustee of the Baillie Gifford Staff Pension Scheme.

Alan was appointed to the Board in 2020 and is Chair of the Board Risk Committee. A Chartered Insurer and Fellow of the Chartered Insurance Institute, he has over 40 years’ domestic and international General Insurance experience in underwriting and operational management. After a career spanning 21 years at Guardian Royal Exchange he progressed through Zurich Insurance Group to become CEO of Zurich Specialties London Ltd before becoming Global Chief Underwriting Officer based in Zurich. Alan is Non- Executive Director of Everest Insurance (Ireland) DAC where he is also Chair of their Board Risk Committee.

Christine was appointed to the Board in 2014 and is a Trustee of the NFU Mutual Charitable Trust. A partner in her family’s beef farm for 30 years, Christine was the Director of Commodities and Food for the UFU and served on its Board. She was a member of the NI Food Advisory Committee and is Chairperson of the NI panel of the Council for Awards of Royal Agricultural Societies. Christine is also a member of the Rural Affairs Committee of the UFU, a Trustee of Donaghadee YFC and is a Director of Countryside Services.

Richard joined NFU Mutual in 2011 and was appointed to the Board in 2018. His responsibilities include Financial & Regulatory Reporting, Financial Planning & Analysis, Investments, Property and Procurement. He has held a variety of Finance leadership roles for Thames Water, BNP-Paribas and Lloyds Banking Group. Richard is a qualified accountant (FCMA) and is a Non-Executive Director of The Institute of Agriculture & Horticulture.

David was appointed to the Board in 2019. He graduated from Cambridge University with a degree in Music and subsequently trained as an accountant before joining PwC in 1990. He rose through that organisation to become a Director and then a Partner specialising in the financial services sector, working in London, Manchester and Birmingham. He is the Senior Independent Director of Atom Bank and is also Chair of the National Youth Choirs of Great Britain and Deputy Chairman of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra.

Nick was appointed to the Board in 2021 as Sales and Agency Director. He brings 30 years of financial services experience, 24 of which have been in insurance – spanning both life and general insurance. Nick joined from AXA, where he was Commercial Distribution and Trading Director, leading their broker distribution and trading strategy in the UK Commercial market - responsible for intermediary marketing, broker development, and the branch network trading performance. Prior to AXA, Nick spent 13 years with Aviva in both the UK and Europe, leading distribution and operations functions within GI and Life divisions. Nick also has experience of the UK broking market having previously led part of the Towergate MGA business and an online wholesale broking business.