Oliver Munn has been appointed CEO of the Rural Payments Agency, bringing extensive leadership and operational experience from across government and industry.
Oliver Munn has been appointed as the next Chief Executive Officer of the Rural Payments Agency (RPA), following an external recruitment exercise.
Oliver brings a wealth of operational and leadership experience to RPA at a pivotal time for British farming and the environment. The RPA plays a key role in delivering payments and support to farmers, growers and land managers across England, helping to drive forward our agricultural transition and support rural communities.
Until 2024, Oliver served as Director General for Health Protection Operations at the UK Health Security Agency, where he led the operational response to infectious disease outbreaks in England. In that role, he secured investment for and delivered the modernisation of outdated IT systems and manual processes. This resulted in quicker, more consistent and higher quality services for customers.
Oliver currently works at Faculty AI, helping organisations deploy technology responsibly to reduce administrative burdens and better serve their customers.
RPA's interim Chief Executive, Neil Hornby, joined in June this year. He will continue in the role until Oliver joins the agency on 12 January 2026.
New RPA Chief Executive Oliver Munn said:
I'm honoured to join the Rural Payments Agency at such an important time for British farming and the environment. In my first few months, my focus will be on listening; to colleagues across the RPA and to the farmers and land managers we serve.
Living in rural Somerset, I see firsthand how vital the RPA's work is to local communities and to the future of the countryside.
My priority is to deliver the modern, effective systems our teams need, and to work closely with Defra to ensure schemes are simpler for farmers to access and for our teams to deliver.
Farming Minister Dame Angela Eagle said:
Oliver's experience across the public and private sectors puts him in pole position to continue the Rural Payments Agency's vital work delivering for its customers and rural communities.
We're backing farmers with the largest nature-friendly budget in history, and Oliver's appointment will ensure the agency continues to drive reforms that improve efficiency and the user experience while supporting our farmers, growers and land managers.
