Governance concern at Stobart shake-up Avril Palmer-Baunack has taken on the top executive role with immediate effect. She was previously deputy chief executive at the haulage firm and replaces non-executive chairman Rodney Baker-Bates, who will leave the board in March. Manifest, the shareholder advisory group, said the move to appoint an executive chairman was against best practice guidelines for corporate governance. The company has announced a reshuffle that does not meet best practice guidelines," said Sarah Wilson, of Manifest. Last week, Stobart issued a profits warning, stating the group's operating performance for 2012 would be "slightly below current market expectations," and said the economic environment remained "uncertain."