This week it has been announced that Mark Aitchison has stepped down from the role of Managing Director of Frontier Agriculture after 20 years leading the Company. In addition, Diana Overton, current Deputy Managing Director has been confirmed as his successor.

Mark will remain with the Business as Group Senior Executive Director to Chair a number of the wholly owned subsidiaries and adjacency investments and to support Diana.
“We are pleased to announce that Diana Overton will succeed Mark and will become the new Managing Director of Frontier with immediate effect."
Speaking on behalf of Frontier’s shareholders about the news, José Nobre – Non-Executive Chairman of Frontier’s Main Board said, “During the last 20 years Frontier has become an outstanding industry leading business and both of Frontier’s parent companies, ABF and Cargill, are immensely grateful for the contribution Mark has made to the growth and development of our Company.

“We are pleased to announce that Diana Overton will succeed Mark and will become the new Managing Director of Frontier with immediate effect. Diana is well known to us and has served alongside Mark as a joint Executive Director of Frontier for the past 8 years. This appointment concludes a carefully considered two-year succession plan culminating in Diana’s appointment to Deputy Managing Director in April 2024. On behalf of the Main Board of Directors of Frontier we offer our congratulations to Diana and wish her every possible success in her new role.”

Mark Aitchison  has been Frontier’s Managing Director since 2005 and was the architect of the merger that formed Frontier, having joined Cargill’s agricultural division in 1992. Mark has a BSc in Applied Biology from Liverpool University and a postgraduate degree in Agronomy and Crop Husbandry. In 2014 Mark was awarded an honorary doctorate from Harper Adams University in recognition of his outstanding contribution to UK agriculture.

As well as being a director of Frontier Agriculture, he is Chairman of Navara Oat Milling Limited and an Investor Director of the Main Board of Oxbury Bank. Mark is also a Director of the Rutland Agricultural Society.

Diana Overton  joined Frontier in 2012 and is a chartered accountant with experience in strategic business development, corporate finance and finance management, including in several roles within the Associated British Foods family. She graduated from Bristol University with a mathematics degree.

Diana has most recently had responsibility for Frontier’s group strategy, HR, IT and business development.  She is also a member of Frontier’s ‘The Responsible Choice’ sustainability Steering Group and a Trustee of the Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution (RABI), and in the role of Honorary Treasurer for RABI since May 2023. Diana is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Director of Frontier Agriculture.