Jaine Chisholm Caunt OBE was appointed Director General of Gafta in 2014. She is also the current Chair of the Federation of Commodity Associations. Jaine was the Chair of the International Agri-food Network (IAFN) which co-ordinates the work of the Private Sector Mechanism (PSM) at the UN Committee on World Food Security from 2015-2017. Jaine was Secretary General of the Tobacco Manufacturers Association from 2011 to 2014 and was previously the Director of Stakeholder Relations and Policy for Cogent, the skills body for the UK’s science-based and process manufacturing industries from 2006 to 2011.

Jaine was previously a member of a HEFCE advisory group on UK University funding, and also a Non-Executive Director of OPITO, the Oil and Gas Academy from 2008 to 2011, and has served as a Trustee on several charity boards. Jaine has a BA (Hons) in Politics & English and a PGCE in Further Education and is a Member of the Institute of Directors, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. She is currently a board member of two European Trade Associations in the agri-commodity sphere, COCERAL and CELCAA. She is also a board member of the International Grain Trade Coalition (IGTC), plus she is a council member of the World Agriculture Forum and a Trustee of the Rangeland Stewardship Council. Jaine is also a committee member of Legal UK. Jaine Chisholm Caunt was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours 2022 for services to promote International Free Trade. Jane has published two vegetarian cookery books, a novel, a textbook, and also writes articles.