The National Forest

About

Prospectus supported The National Forest Company (NFC) in appointing four new trustees at a pivotal moment in its development: a Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee and three Land & Forestry Trustees. With the government backing the creation of three new national forests, NFC is entering a significant phase of expansion: growing woodland cover, deepening community partnerships, and driving long-term environmental change. Strengthening its governance with experienced, mission-aligned trustees was central to preparing the organisation for this next chapter.

The National Forest is one of the UK’s most ambitious environmental regeneration initiatives. Spanning 200 square miles across the Midlands, it has already seen 9.5 million trees planted, transforming former industrial landscapes into thriving connected woodland, and its reputation as a pioneering model for nature recovery continues to grow.

The Brief

For the Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee, they sought a qualified accountant with deep experience in financial governance across sectors, combined with strong strategic judgement and a thorough understanding of risk, audit and organisational oversight. The successful candidate needed to be capable of providing robust, independent scrutiny at a time of significant organisational growth. They also needed the time to commit to the role and the ability to represent the National Forest on the national stage.

For the Land & Forestry Trustees, the board sought practitioners with hands-on expertise in forestry, land management, farming, or nature conservation. The individuals needed to bring technical depth and sector credibility to help guide the charity’s work at a critical moment for both the National Forest and the wider national land-use policy. It was equally important to have diversity, strong governance experience, and a true commitment to the organisation’s mission. The board aimed to assemble a group of visionary trustees who could provide strategic guidance, ensure robust governance, and have the time to actively support the charity’s journey and ambitions.

Our Approach

Prospectus designed a targeted search across environmental charities, public bodies, land-based industries, and commercial organisations, seeking individuals with relevant strategic, technical, or governance expertise. Drawing on existing networks and conducting a fresh search over a five-week period, the process generated 18 applications for the Land & Forestry Trustee roles and 8 applications for the Audit & Risk Committee Chair. The full process, from initial briefing to offer, was completed in approximately 2.5 months.

The Outcome

Chair, Audit & Risk Committee:

Emma Hooper Smith is a Chartered Accountant and experienced non-executive leader, bringing a 35-year career at PwC spanning risk management, governance, audit, IT consulting, and M&A advisory. A longstanding personal connection to the region further strengthened her alignment with the role.

Land & Forestry Trustees:

Originally recruiting for two Land & Forestry Trustees, the exceptional strength of the candidate pool led the National Forest Company to appoint three outstanding individuals.

• Beth Cambridge has built a progressive career of more than a decade at Forestry England, rising to Head of Woodland Creation, where she leads large-scale woodland development across England. She holds an Executive MBA from Bayes Business School.
• John Lockhart is a Rural Chartered Surveyor with over 30 years’ expertise in forestry and environmental planning. As Principal Consultant at Nicholsons, he leads green infrastructure planning for major developments and contributes to national policy forums on tree health, carbon, biodiversity net gain and natural capital. He also serves as a Non-Executive Director on the Forestry Services Board.
• Paul Orsi brings over 25 years in forestry and land management. As Director of Operations at the Sylva Foundation since 2018, he has led forestry, rural enterprise and digital innovation programmes. His earlier career includes more than a decade managing woodland, agri-environment schemes and estate operations at Blenheim Palace.

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