Lantra, the Sector Skills Council supporting the land-based and environmental industries, announced today, 1 February 2011, that Valerie Owen OBE has been appointed as Lantra’s new Chair.

Valerie is a multi-disciplinary business professional who has held a number of senior positions in industry and commerce, including Think London – the inward investment agency for the capital. As the Managing Director of Le Vaillant Owen Consultancy, she specialises in community regeneration and sustainable development.

Valerie holds a series of Non-Executive directorships in environment, health and housing. She also holds a number of Ministerial appointments and is involved in some of the largest and most complex sustainable development projects in the UK. As a Chartered Environmentalist, she is passionate about the environment and works closely with Defra in three of these roles: the National Forest, the Environment Agency and Covent Garden Market Authority.

Valerie said: “Lantra plays a vital role in ensuring the UK has a highly skilled workforce. Nationally the land-based sector will need some 60,000 new recruits over the next decade simply to replace those employees who are due to retire or leave employment. There will also be new demand for employees for the developing environmental industries such as alternative energy production and intensifying food production. Recent UN research shows the combined impacts of population growth and climate change will mean a 14% deficit between wheat production and demand as early as 2020. Lantra has important work to do in the coming years.”

In addition to volunteering with Girlguiding UK for over 30 years, and with Toynbee Hall (the Universities Settlement in East London), Valerie leads teams of volunteers from very disadvantaged backgrounds and works amongst some of the poorest and most needy communities in the UK. She is experienced at partnership working and engaging with the Third sector, and is wholly committed to promoting equality and diversity.

Peter Martin, Lantra’s Chief Executive, said: “This is a new and exciting time for Lantra and we are pleased to have Valerie as our Chair. Her personal experience and professional skills will greatly assist Lantra as it goes forward into the new, more competitive environment for Sector Skills Councils”.

Valerie concluded, “I’m excited to get involved with Lantra’s work, and will help ensure positive steps are taken to support the UK land-based economy in the future.”

To find out more about Lantra and how it supports skills in the land-based and environmental sector, visit www.lantra.co.uk.