Catherine Cooper

NFU Director of People

As the NFU’s Director of People, Catherine supports the NFU's vision to create a better future for our farming members by providing strategic leadership on people and culture. She is also responsible for member development and creating a talent pipeline for future NFU office holders.

Catherine leads a dedicated team of HR professionals that partner with the NFU and its subsidiaries to attract, develop and engage great people to deliver positive outcomes for the NFU and its members.

Her career started on the graduate scheme at Tesco, and after working as a store manager and learning that people are the heartbeat of any organisation, she decided to pursue a career in HR. She worked for a wide variety of organisations, from the NHS to SMEs to privately owned businesses before joining the NFU in 2015. She became Director of People in April 2023.

Outside of work Catherine enjoys spending time with her family and friends in Warwickshire. Her real love is open water swimming, and although she’s based in the very centre of England she will find any excuse to head to the coast for a swim.