Royal Armouries appoints new director general
Edward Impey joins from English Heritage
Royal Armouries has appointed Edward Impey as its new director general following the resignation of Jonathon Riley last year.
Impey will take up the position in October. He joins from English Heritage, where he is the director of heritage protection and planning.
Wes Paul, chairman of the Royal Armouries, said: “[Impey] brings that rare combination of knowledge, expertise, leadership, established networks and a passion for the subject and he joins us at a very important time of change."
He added that the organisation's key goals are to make its collection more attractive to a more diverse audience, strengthen its impact on research and extend into international markets.
Impey is a former curator at Historic Royal Palaces. His expertise and publications cover aspects of history, architecture, archaeology and conservation, and he has had a life-long interest in arms and armour.
It has also been announced that Chris Walker, the Royal Armouries’ interim chief executive, is leaving the organisation to take up a new post at the National Gallery in London.
The Royal Armouries, which has three sites at the Tower of London, Leeds and Fort Nelson in Hampshire, has had a troubled few years.
In 2008, then chief executive Paul Evans stepped down having previously been suspended pending an investigation into "potential irregularities" at the museum.
His replacement, Riley, was temporarily suspended last year pending a review of issues raised by the museum’s auditors. Six months later he resigned from the museum in order to pursue other roles and recover from his treatment for cancer.
In May, irregular pay increases were revealed as the reason why government auditors refused to sign the Royal Armouries' 2011/12 accounts.
Impey will take up the position in October. He joins from English Heritage, where he is the director of heritage protection and planning.
Wes Paul, chairman of the Royal Armouries, said: “[Impey] brings that rare combination of knowledge, expertise, leadership, established networks and a passion for the subject and he joins us at a very important time of change."
He added that the organisation's key goals are to make its collection more attractive to a more diverse audience, strengthen its impact on research and extend into international markets.
Impey is a former curator at Historic Royal Palaces. His expertise and publications cover aspects of history, architecture, archaeology and conservation, and he has had a life-long interest in arms and armour.
It has also been announced that Chris Walker, the Royal Armouries’ interim chief executive, is leaving the organisation to take up a new post at the National Gallery in London.
The Royal Armouries, which has three sites at the Tower of London, Leeds and Fort Nelson in Hampshire, has had a troubled few years.
In 2008, then chief executive Paul Evans stepped down having previously been suspended pending an investigation into "potential irregularities" at the museum.
His replacement, Riley, was temporarily suspended last year pending a review of issues raised by the museum’s auditors. Six months later he resigned from the museum in order to pursue other roles and recover from his treatment for cancer.
In May, irregular pay increases were revealed as the reason why government auditors refused to sign the Royal Armouries' 2011/12 accounts.