Appointments made to the Environment Agency Board
Source: gov.uk (2025-04-14)

New Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee named, as three board members reappointed

A series of appointments and reappointments have been made to the Board of the Environment Agency.

Jon Watts has been appointed as a Non-Executive Board Member, as well as Chair of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. His appointment began on 1 April 2025 and will run for three years until 31 March 2028. The Committee provides essential scrutiny, challenge, and oversight of the Environment Agency’s risk controls and governance.

Furthermore, Stewart Davies, Lilli Matson, and Ines Faden da Silva have been reappointed as board members for second terms, all of which commenced on 1 February 2025 and will run for eighteen months until 1 July 2026. Ines Faden da Silva has also been appointed as the new Deputy Chair of the Board. All appointments have been made on merit and in accordance with the Ministerial Governance Code on Public Appointments.

The Environment Agency would like to thank Judith Batchelar, Robert Gould, and John Lelliott for their exemplary service and commitment as they step down from the Board.

Biographies

Jon Watts

Jon is a finance leader with a career spanning global businesses and the third sector. Jon is a trustee of the Eden Trust and chair of the Finance Audit and Risk Committee. He has held senior leadership roles, including regional Chief Financial Officer of Unilever Latin America, Director of Finance and Control at SABMiller, and as global Chief Financial Officer for Save the Children and for the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation. He currently advises foundations and NGOs on organisational capability and resilience.

Stewart Davies

Stewart is Chair of OPRL Ltd, which serves over 900 companies across the packaging cycle, collaborating to drive circularity and a transformation in packaging resource efficiency. He is founding Chair of the Bradford Sustainable Development Partnership. Stewart’s prior career was as an executive in regulated industries, including petrochemicals, steel, cement and waste management. He has served as Chair of the Environmental Services Association and as a Non-Executive Director on the board of Innovate UK.

Lilli Matson

Lilli has worked for Transport for London since 2006, currently as Chief Officer of Safety, Health & Environment, where she leads initiatives to enhance safety and environmental performance across London’s transport network. Previously, Lilli was a member of the UK Government’s Commission for Integrated Transport and ran her own transport consultancy, leading major projects on sustainable transport for a range of clients.

Ines Faden da Silva

Ines Faden da Silva is a part-time consultant at Tideway London, the company delivering London’s super sewer. She is a Committee Member of the Transition Pathway Initiative and Member of the Expert Panel for Accounting for Sustainability. Prior to Tideway, Ines worked for Citigroup where she advised and arranged financing for infrastructure and energy projects and later managed a portfolio of structured assets.

Notes for Editors
- The Environment Agency works to create better places for people and wildlife, and supports sustainable development. It is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs.
- The Environment Agency Board currently comprises a Chair and eight members.