Moves
Leonie Bell has been appointed director of V&A Dundee. Bell is currently strategic lead for the Future Paisley Partnership at Renfrewshire Council and has worked in senior roles for the Scottish government and Creative Scotland.
The Natural History Museum (NHM) in London has appointed Doug Gurr as director. Gurr is the country manager of Amazon UK and was president of Amazon China from 2014 to 2016. He chaired the Science Museum’s board from 2010 to 2014. Two new trustees also join the NHM. Yadvinder Malhi is professor of Ecosystem Science at the University of Oxford and Harris Bokhari is a social entrepreneur, public engagement advisor and chartered accountant.
Bill Ferris, the chief executive of Chatham Historic Dockyard in Kent, retires from his role after 19 years this autumn. Richard Morsley takes his place, having worked for the trust since September 2019, including as assistant chief executive.
Cathy Putz is the new director of the Brunel Museum. She has 20 years’ experience in senior museum management roles, most recently as head of touring exhibitions at the Victoria and Albert Museum.
Nick Viner has been appointed as the new chair of the Jewish Museum London. Viner has previously been chief executive of the London Jewish culture centre JW3. He has also served on the board of JW3 and other charities.
The International Centre for Life in Newcastle has announced Fiona Cruickshank as chair of its board. Cruickshank has a background in angel investing and pharmaceutical manufacturing.
The new chair of National Museums Scotland (NMS) will be Ian Russell. The former executive director of Scottish Power has been a trustee of NMS since 2018.
John Mothersole has been appointed as England chair of the National Lottery Community Fund, and Kate Still is the fund’s new Scotland chair. Mothersole has worked in senior local government roles in various UK cities. Still is director for Scotland for youth charity the Prince’s Trust.
York Museums Trust has recruited two new trustees. Miranda Lowe is the principal curator of crustacea and cnidaria at the Natural History Museum, and a founder of the Museum Detox network. Scott Furlong was previously Arts Council England’s director of collections and cultural property.
The National Portait Gallery has appointed the investment manager and adviser Mark Cecil and the Conservative MP Chris Grayling as trustees.
Venki Ramakrishnan, a senior scientist at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, is joining the board of the British Library.
Laura Wyld, a business consultant who was head of appointments for the prime minister from 2013 to 2016, is joining the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport as a non-executive board member. Nick De Bois, a conservative MP for Enfield North from 2010 to 2015, has been appointed chair of Visit England’s advisory board. And Patrick McCloughlin, a conservative MP for more than 30 years until 2019 and former government chief whip, will chair the British Tourist Authority.
The Tate Americas Foundation has announced Paul Britton as its chair and Bob Rennie as its president. Britton is the founder and chief executive of Capstone Investment Advisors and Rennie is the founder of property development consultancy the Rennie group.
Laura House is joining the Foundling Museum on its nine-month curatorial fellowship. House is also museum administrator at the Royal College of Music Museum.
Karen Crowshaw, who has worked at board level in banking and the NHS, has been appointed chair of the cultural education charity Curious Minds. Local government professional Samira Al-Obaidi and social entrepreneur Jaffer Ali Hussain have also joined Curious Minds as trustees.