Francis Stafford, age 56, was appointed to the Board as a Non-Executive Director in January 1993, and appointed Vice Chairman in December 1997.

He has served on both the Assets & Liabilities Committee and the Remuneration Committee as Chairman and is still a member of both of them. His past positions have been as Chairman of the Audit Committee at the NHS Foundation Hospital and also Chairman of both Keele and Harper Adams Universities.

He has recently been appointed as Chairman of the Country Foundation for Education helping young people onto farms and estates. Lord Stafford currently manages his family estate at Swynnerton Park, some of which has been in his
family for over 900 years.