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Meet our senior leaders

Dr Gemma Harper OBE – Chief Executive

The main responsibilities of this post are to:

  • Manage JNCC on a day-to-day basis and oversee the delivery of its work.
  • Act as Accounting Officer for JNCC, with responsibility for the efficient and effective use of resources.
  • Work with the Chair and Committee Members to set strategic direction for JNCC, and translate this into annual business plans.
  • Develop and maintain sound working relationships at a senior level with key stakeholders in government and elsewhere.
Dr Gemma Harper

Dave Stone – Chief Scientist

The main responsibilities of this post are to:

  • Lead JNCC’s science, evidence and advice functions, ensuring JNCC's work is underpinned by high-quality science and evidence.
  • Promote learning and development and build JNCC’s scientific and technical capability in critical areas.
  • Champion innovation to test new techniques and approaches.
  • Encourage activities that diversify and increase income and leverage resources through collaboration with partners
  • Be a high-profile and influential advocate for JNCC’s science, evidence and advice, promoting JNCC’s reputation as a scientific authority on UK and international nature conservation.
  • Develop relationships at a senior level within the environmental science and policy communities, including UK and devolved governments, the wider public sector, NGOs and research organisations.

David Collins – Director of Finance and Resources

The main responsibilities of this post are to:

  • Serve as a member of the Executive Leadership Team and provide leadership to the JNCC Support Company.
  • Ensure effective development and delivery of JNCC’s work programmes and manage corporate risks.
  • Manage Finance and Procurement, Human Resources, Facilities, Communications and Business Development teams.
  • Maintain and develop systems of control, including policies and procedures. 
  • Support the Chief Executive and Chairman in managing and developing the Committee and Company Board, including acting as Company Secretary.
  • Provide advice to the Chief Executive, Chair and Committee on corporate strategy.
  • Represent JNCC externally at a senior level with key stakeholders (including country nature conservation bodies, UK Government departments and devolved administrations, non-governmental organisations and others).
David Collins - Director of Finance and Resources

Dr John Goold – Director of Marine Evidence and Advice

The main responsibilities of this post are to:

  • Support the development of JNCC's strategy and promote JNCC externally at senior levels to identify and develop opportunities where JNCC can provide support.
  • Provide strategic advice to the Chief Executive and Joint Committee and lead internal governance groups.
  • Oversee JNCC's programme to support government, partners and stakeholders protect and recover nature in UK seas.  

Dr Steve Wilkinson – Director of Ecosystem Evidence and Advice

The main responsibilities of this post are to:

  • Support the development of JNCC's strategy and promote JNCC externally at senior levels to identify and develop opportunities where JNCC can provide support.
  • Provide strategic advice to the Chief Executive and Joint Committee and lead internal governance groups.
  • Specifically oversee and direct JNCC’s UK funded, non-marine work to:
    • Maintain an overview of strategies and priorities across the four UK countries and identify opportunities for cross-border working
    • Maintain and develop the evidence base to assess overall state and change of nature across the UK
    • Supporting the application of the evidence base to provide policy insight

Natalie Askew and Beth Stoker – Directors of International Evidence and Advice (job share)

The main responsibilities of this post are to:

  • Support the development of JNCC's strategy and promote JNCC externally at senior levels to identify and develop opportunities where JNCC can provide support.
  • Provide strategic advice to the Chief Executive and Joint Committee and lead internal governance groups.
  • Lead the provision of scientific advice to support the development of international commitments.
  • Lead international reporting activities, including the integration of evidence from across the UK to meet these commitments.
  • Lead the development and implementation of nature recovery strategies abroad, with a focus on the UK’s Overseas Territories.
  • Lead activities to assess the impact of the UK’s consumption and trade on the natural environment abroad and how these impacts could be mitigated.

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